When Hearts of Darkness bust out one of their unforgettable performances, they do it for you. But more than anything, they do it for themselves.

The 14-member strong Afrobeat rebels squeezed onto the Bottleneck stage Friday night to lead the audience in a weekend boogie down. When they’re onstage, cozying up against each other, you can see various members cracking smiles and jokes at each other throughout the night. This is a band that likes to get together and make music with each other. Simple as that.

But watching their fans is half the entertainment. A Hearts of Darkness show will bring out the wildest crowd decked in lights, costumes, sequins, and out-of-this-world dance moves. We’re pretty sure we saw someone do a cartwheel out of the corner of our eye. If you’re a pen pusher who’s chained to an office all week, this is your time to slap on some fuzzy boots and let loose.

The band only encourages it, expanding their creative costumes more with each performance. On this night, they busted out some original and new songs for the cavorting crowd to enjoy.

Here’s how they started their set. Be sure to catch them this Friday at Middle of the Map Fest.

Words and photos by Fally Afani