Local pop-rockers Averi had the crowd dancing as they played a Northeastern students-only show Friday night at afterHOURS. The band performed a wide set list of songs including some off their new album, which hits stores Feb. 8.

Averi was recently named 2004’s “Best Local Band” by the Boston Phoenix reader’s poll and chosen as one of the Top 10 local bands to watch by the Boston Globe. Their new album “Drawn to Revolving Doors” is produced by Scott Riebling, who has worked with such bands as American Hi-Fi, The Sheila Devine and Letters To Cleo. This production history presents an inkling of what the new album has to offer, with catchy choruses and romantically wistful lyrics in the vein of Hi-Fi and Cleo and a little of the edge of The Sheila Divine.

“They’re very high energy,” said sophomore pharmacy major Kristen Bunnell before the show began. “They get involved with the crowd.”

Averi’s live act is, without a doubt, its strong point. The band not only responds to the crowd, but feeds off it. From the moment the group kicked off their set with the first song on “Revolving Doors,” “For Better or Worse,” it was apparent they were ready to have fun. Many of the band’s members were animated and showed the enjoyment on their faces.

However, their recorded sound is much weaker. Listening to the CD, lead singer Chad Perrone’s voice comes off as whiny at times and a number of clich