A new wave prince of the 2010s, George Lewis Jr. is the captivating lead singer and musical intellect behind current Brooklyn-based band Twin Shadow. Closing the last hour and a half of a Wednesday night with soft, sparkly melodies at the Santos Party House, Twin Shadow’s set at the Noisey showcase was part of the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. Lewis played a set that with an emotional sophistication and a strong stage presence that could make him an underground indie rock sex symbol.

Lewis himself looked like a star reborn from the pool of 1980s New York club kids’ scene. The lead singer’s stage appearance was tremendous to see, as he sported a gold chain and flat brimmed hat a la Boy George of Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me,” gave him the already famous look, but the mostly under-the-radar indie rocker was one of the many faces of CMJ who were trying to expand their audience by choosing to perform at CMJ’s music marathon.

As George Lewis Jr. and his band jammed out in the packed upstairs of Santos, the playful, mellow reverbs of “Slow,” droned the crowd’s atmosphere into a sea of sound. “Forget,” the title track of their debut album, followed up from a slow start and built up rock jammery that displayed the band’s cross-genre aesthetic of chillwave and new wave. While many chillwave bands stick to low-profile jamming behind their synthesizers. It is sex appeal and stage execution that separates Twin Shadow apart from the current scene.

Lewis has a stunning live performance, and captures the audience’s eye by tantalizing them. The performance didn’t explicitly demonstrate any physical or direct references to sex, and none of the lyrics would be characterized by being “obscene,” but it is a figurative attraction, and the impact of George Lewis Jr’s physical essence that makes the band tantalizing.

For an opening night at CMJ, Twin Shadow kept the crowd dancing and bobbing their heads throughout. Balancing emotionally rocky, heartfelt ballads like “Tyrant Destroyed” that make up their debut album “Forget,” and progressing into the key singles “Castles in the Snow,” and “I Can’t Wait.” The collection of songs performed really spoke to the impact of the melodies, lyrics, and dynamism their one album of songs can have.

All in all, Twin Shadow was my choice for best live performance of CMJ 2011. Carrying an emotional drive laced with rock vibes is what Twin Shadow does best. George Lewis Jr. has a shyness, delicacy, and sex appeal paired with a guitar on stage that made him an unparalleled dream to the chillwave and indie rock fangirls of CMJ.