“Everybody’s better when they’re drinking and smoking. Happy Holidays!” That was the toast the guitarist from Dated gave when they played the Replay Saturday night. The band can be incredibly charming, even when they think nobody is watching. On Saturday, the band was under the assumption that only a small crowd had formed to watch them perform. Regardless, they were just as charismatic (in their own blackhearted way).

The tall, statuesque figures that make up the garage band gave perhaps their most stripped down performance. They traded in the drummer for a drum machine on this night. Dated knows the art of “Less Is More.” They rattled out driving rhythms that bounced off each other while the bassist showed off her spectacular screaming voice. Her allure could keep an audience entranced throughout the entire show. She’s confident, yet quite sinister… almost as though the band is harboring a dark secret.

We are insanely fond of Dated and see them perfectly at home at a venue like the Replay. Here’s a clip from their performance, which brought a welcome bit of perverse mischief to cut through all the holiday cheer that’s been floating around lately. We should note that later in the night, they stood onstage and performed a song where they repeatedly told the audience to “Go Fuck Yourself.” We could just eat them up, they’re so delightful.