Bowery Ballroom, New York

They're British. They craft perfect pop songs. And you can take them home for tea (and scones) with Mum. All of which explains the throng of screaming teenage girls parked right up front (and a screaming Zach Braff in the balcony), blissfully ignorant to the shower of sweat beads raining down from singer Tom Chaplin. Billed as "An Evening with Keane," the sold-out concert was the Britpoppers' first time playing at Bowery Ballroom, a New York venue they were happy about finally ticking off the to-play list: "Thank fuck!" beamed a gracious Chaplin. Having just released their sophomore album, Under the Iron Sea, the guitarless trio were out to road-test a slew of new songs while also cutting and pasting from their stellar debut, Hopes and Fears.

Opening with newbies "Put It Behind You" and the plodding "Nothing in My Way," it wasn't until the rousing "Bend and Break" that the audience's energy really went off the charts. "We Might As Well Be Strangers" and "Everybody's Changing" ensured the mercury remained at dangerously high levels as the energetic Chaplin bounded all over the stage, oftentimes getting down on one knee to serenade those jammed up close. Although he could be accused of chattering too much between songs, Chaplin's angelic tones and pitch-perfect singing made up for his rambling. "Are you really ready to sing your hearts out?" asked the baby-faced frontman, goading audience members to stretch their vocal chords even further as the trio set into "Somewhere Only We Know," which in turn set off a mass sing-along.

"Can't Stop Now" was an apt metaphor for this grand performance, as Chaplin effortlessly careened through a booming set, ably assisted by keyboardist Tim Rice-Oxley and drummer Richard Hughes. Although the new songs didn't have as much impact as those from the first album, Keane's performance was enough to ward off future Colplay-lite or U2-wannabe criticisms. The three-piece stepped out of the shadows and into the white-hot limelight of Bowery, aided and abetted by a killer light show and umpteen feel-good anthems such as "This Is the Last Time" and current single "Is It Any Wonder?" When it seemed they had exhausted all their tunes (and energy), they took a quick breather, returned for a three-song encore and closed out with "Bedshaped," which was prefaced by thanking the fans for "a perfect night in New York City."