More than 1,200 fans attended the sold-out Passion Pit show Wednesday at UC Davis Freeborn Hall and were ready to get their groove on. An hour before the event kids were lined up, dressed to impress with glow stick and all, ready to stake their spot close to the stage. It was a spectacle to see such an interactive audience harmonizing, chanting and singing along.

Passion Pit received quick success from its introductory ep "Chunk of Change," which was released in September 2008. Since the ep's release, the band has released a full-length album, "Manners," and is currently making its way south to play at this weekend's Coachella Festival in Indio Valley. The Southern California desert festival has seen the likes of Radiohead, The Pixies, Daft Punk, and Paul McCartney, so it's safe to say Passion Pit has officially made it.

Wednesday opened with The Middle East, an up-and-coming Australian indie-folk band whose single, "Blood," has been gaining popularity on indie-rock stations like XMU. The seven-piece band is extremely melodic, with all members playing a range of instruments with a microphones in front of them. No member ever stops contributing, and at one point the rhythm guitarist played the trumpet with an acoustic guitar still strapped around his neck.

Following The Middle East was Mayer Hawthorne and the County. The band is hard to narrow down by genre, but was loads of entertainment for the crowd. At one point, the lead singer asked the audience, "Where's my ladies at," and proceeded to play music likely to be found in a '50's ice cream shop. That song smoothly transitioned into a funky cover of ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" and further transitioned into a soulful, James Brown-esque rhythm. It felt like a wedding with showmanship, original covers and good times.

Mayer Hawthorne hyped up Passion Pit, and anticipation mounted as the stage technicians took their time connecting the mess of wires to the electronic-savvy band's instruments. When the lights finally dimmed, the crowd erupted and was rewarded by a frenzied light show. The band's studio sound is extremely synth-based, but the musicians managed to create a more impacting rock sound live, captivating the audience to listen past the fisode of gadgets and keyboards.

Instead of chanting "Encore," the audience rallied together with "Sleepyhead, Sleepyhead...," the name of the band's first hit song. Passion Pit came back to play a cover of The Cranberries' "Dreams" and concluded with "Sleepyhead," satisfying the crowd's urge. If you missed out on this event, don't get too upset. During the concert, Passion Pit front man, Michael Angelakos, took a minute to thank his dedicated band, which will be joining him on a year-long tour.

For future shows at Freeborn Hall check out freebornhall.ucdavis.edu