The Heavy, with lead singer Kelvin Swaby, proved prime-time can be at 8 p.m. as they fired into an energetic set Friday night at the U.S. Cellular Stage.

The band began playing their first song in a relatively calmer pace but following that song Swaby walked over to the microphone and emphatically told the crowd that that wasn't what The Heavy is truly about. The band he said takes one approach, the heavy barrage that slams into your ears and gets your body moving.

And for most of their show, as the charismatic singer got into an sweaty and passionate energetic swagger on stage and singing in a soulful manner that might conjure up Curtis Mayfield comparisons, that was definitely the case. With shimmering guitars and forcefully present horns, the band helped give the packed crowd a good time with a set list drawing from their two albums, 2007's "Great Vengeance and Furious Fire" and last year's "The House That Dirt Built."

They played a mix of their hard charging rock and roll songs as well as more soulful, moody songs, including "Cause for Alarm," "Sixteen," and "No Time."

The band has deep passion in dipping in a variety of musical genres and upon further research I found that they sometimes incorporate bits of other songs into their own. For example, "How You Like Me Now" samples "Let a Woman Be a Woman" by Drake & the Blazers. Obviously when I saw the show I didn't know that and even if I did I was too engrossed in their soulful torpedoes of sound to care.

Swaby kept a constant interaction with the crowd, instructing us to howl like wolves and repeat a phrase during a song early in the set. The rest of the band was in synch with his enthusiasm and helped provide an extra boost of energy to their songs.

They ended their set in grand fashion with "How You Like Me Now?" with the appreciative audience pumping their hands to the beat as they grooved to the song's irresistible beat. The band departed and returned for a two song encore.

"How do you like us now?" Swaby asked the crowd before they tore into the song he was referencing. It was apparent many who watched The Heavy tear into their soulful rock and roll found much to like.

Other highlights from Friday:

Aktar Aktar: The Chicago-based indie rockers put on a fun and entertaining show that got a large crowd in front of the stage dancing and having a good time. Lead singer Jacob Swearson had an interesting tone to his voice that complimented the vocals of Tim Maguire very well. The band clearly had a good time on stage as did a bunch of casual and devoted fans in attendance.

Hypernova: Originally from Iran and now based in New York, the band provided a good set of rock and roll with a bit of a dance beat. They seemed to be having sound problems on stage which marred an otherwise pretty good performance.

Kinch: The Arizona-based band provided a solid set of upbeat and melodic rock tunes alternately driven by guitar and piano. They sounded even better live compared to their recordings, proving extra energy for their songs like "Carolina Cannonball" and "John Adams."

Brief Candles: I made my way between shows at the U.S. Cellular to catch the last few songs of Brief Candles' set. It was more art rock compared to anything else I saw Friday, but I'm glad I got to catch some of the band's wandering guitar strumming of their shoegaze style.

Carney: Crowds arriving for later shows caught a decent rock offering from this Los Angeles-based band, which covered the Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)." The real highlight was the band's latest single, "Love Me Chase Me," with it's grand march of drums and commanding guitars.