The Sounds’ Maja Ivarsson remains one of the most charismatic frontwomen in rock music, thanks in part to her frenetic dancing. Here are five moves we saw her pull off at the Metro.

Maja Ivarsson isn’t a dancer. Sure, The Sounds’ frontwoman has plenty of rhythm. But like most of us, she isn’t bringing any complex moves to the club. Instead, she gets by on a combination of endless charisma, sensuality, and simple yet effective anti-choreography. Well, she doesn’t just get by. She delivers one of the most energetic live shows on the planet.

In the decade or so since New Wave revival became a thing, I’ve never seen it elicit as many fist pumps as it did at Wednesday’s packed show at the Metro. Here are five awesome dance moves we saw Ivarsson execute to perfection. The best part? You can do them all yourself. And that’s the key to The Sounds’ success. They’re not performing for you. They’re performing with you.

The Old Jaw/Mic Punch

While singing the bouncy but codependent chorus of “Dorchester Hotel,” Ivarsson mock-punched herself in the jaw, then turned her first toward the mic. Her hits got more intense as the song progressed, lending some frantic emotion to the dance party.

The True Frankenstein’s Monster

Usually when someone imitates Frankenstein’s monster, they extend their arms straight out and walk sluggishly. But any true fan of the 1931 film knows that Boris Karloff walks with his extremities angled slightly downward and his shoulders so tense that they’re up near his jaw. Ivarsson must be a horror-movie fan, because she did an accurate imitation of the creature while singing “The Best of Me.” After hobbling over to a Metro security guard, she knelt down and rested her head on his shoulder. It wasn’t quite as sweet as Frankenstein’s monster trying to connect with a little girl. But it wasn’t as creepy, either.

The Braveheart Mic

At several points during “Take it the Wrong Way,” Ivarsson lifted the microphone—stand and all—above her head with one hand and angled it toward the feverish crowd. Planted in her power pose, I half expected her to scream, “They may take our lives, but they’ll never take…our FREEEDOOOM!”

The Perfect Pendulum

Plenty of musicians swing the microphone like a lasso. Ivarsson, however, took it to another level. At the climax of the band’s hit “Living In America,” she dangled the mic at her side and swung it perfectly over the audience. She never came close to hitting anyone, somehow keeping it hovering between the stage and the security barrier.

The Illegal Cigarette

Ivarsson came out for the encore with a lit cigarette, coolly puffing on it during the brief time-signature shifts of “Tony the Beat.” Good thing she had already made nice with the security guard.

You can catch The Sounds on the US leg of their tour through April 21. Also, check out the A&L Guide’s mini playlist with Maja Ivarsson.

Photo: Collin Brennan