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It can be tough for any music act to captivate an audience; but, it’s especially challenging for a duo on stage with nothing more than a microphone and a set of decks. But Sylvan Esso manages to make it look like a breeze.

In an all-too-short one-hour set on Friday evening, Sylvan Esso enthralled a full-house at the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage at Summerfest.

The duo, comprised of Amelia Meath and Milwaukee musician Nick Sanborn, has enjoyed a swift rise to popularity since the release of their self-titled album in May of 2014. They’ve had no lack of media attention -- particularly from NPR, who has featured them numerous times and listed them among "10 Breakout Artists of 2014."

A performance on the Tonight Show as well as appearances at Coachella, Bonnaroo and Sasquatch have cemented their reputation nationally. And their popularity has been culpable in the Cream City as well. Just look at last September’s Cactus Club booking, which was ultimately moved to the Pabst Theater to accommodate a sold-out crowd six times the size of what the Cactus Club could hold. That’s no small feat, even for a more well seasoned band with greater notoriety.

But, in a world already lousy with dance pop duos, the reason for Sylvan Esso’s rise is directly tied to their ability to make much with little.

Take their opening song, "Could I Be," during which a simple beat is augmented by both vocals and percussive elements, creating a catchy and haunting melody which matches its wistful lyrics. It’s a great example of Sanborn’s ability to use minimalism to reap high levels of emotional impact -- a feat he performed countless times during last night’s concert.

When Sanborn took a moment after the first song to greet the audience with a "What's up Milwaukee? Are you guys ok back there dancing on the bleachers?" the roar of the crowd teemed with approval for the Milwaukee musician.

At that point, Sanborn returned to his station at stage left and took control of the sound – creating his own set of uniquely erratic movements, as he twisted knobs and triggered beat drops, then adjusted his position to connect visually with the crowd.  He and Meath shared similarly intense glances – and sometimes stares – as they fed off of one another’s energy and simultaneously satiated the ever-hungry crowd.

"Dreamy Bruises" featured chiming synth sequences and laptop beats which blended seamlessly with Meath’s vocals – creating a quixotic elixir that effortlessly entranced the crowd. All at once, the relatively humble World Sound Stage transformed into an electrically charged club scene where puffs of smoke ascended from dancing throngs of 20- and 30-somethings, whose bodies only longed to sway and bob.

After a number of high tempo numbers, including "Dress" and their infamous hit "Coffee," Meath and Sanborn slowed things down with the soothing howls of "Wolf," as the U.S. Bank fireworks picked up in intensity just behind the stage.

Neither performer interrupted the flow of the concert with much banter. Sanborn gave a shout-out to his parents, who were in the audience. And Meath occasionally threw out a quirky greeting or remark. But, the emphasis was on the music. And the joy – the brilliantly awkward joy of the synth and Meath’s quirky dance moves.

The crowd responded in kind. Bouncing, swaying, bobbing and waving their arms. Looking out over the sea of bodies in the crowd responding to Sylvan Esso’s music did absolutely nothing to circumvent the trope that white people can’t dance. But, it definitely gave me pause; after all, they were having so much fun doing it, that it really shouldn’t matter.

The set list continued -- somewhat predictably – with perennial hits like "Hey Mami" and "H.S.K.T.," and I found myself wondering if they’d pull anything new into the frey. My question was answered as they wrapped up with "Play it Right."  As the song concluded, the crowd roared for more as Meath and Sanborn walked off the stage, returning only moments later for a brief encore.

The mood was expectant as Meath pulled her hair down from the updo she’d been wearing all evening, raised her hand, and serenaded the audience:

There's a man, that I know
And I think he loves me so
Finally, I'm going to wait
So, Mama won't you come down
Hey Mama won't you come down
To the river, To wait, To be

A smile and a wave later, the two had gone, slipping wordlessly off the stage, leaving me – and the crowd – to wonder and wait for another day, another album, another intense Sylvan Esso experience.