Now he’s just somebody that they thought they knew.

Despite a small crowd that barely filled a quarter (approximately 1,000 guests attended) of the Stampede Corral, Australian pop singer Gotye (of Somebody That I used to Know fame) shook off the empty stands and performed as though there wasn’t a vacant seat in the house.

Gotye, surprisingly with a mellow, soothing voice, seemed most energetic when trading the microphone for his drums - which by the way, he plays well – or any other unique-sounding instrument he uses. He started the show off with a bang and slowed down halfway through just in time to turn it back up a notch for his last song, which of course was what 99 per cent of the crowd came for.

Most of the audience was there for the catchy, pop sensation lovelorn single that took radio stations, internet playlists and car radios by storm, but they seemed to enjoy the ride along the way despite not knowing the words to most of the artist’s other songs.

So how does one turn an impossibly-addicting hit single into an 80-minute concert? Well, with lots of background anime and musical interludes, of course. Fusing his mellow voice with electronic backbeats and unique instruments, Gotye put on an energetic performance that had him all over the stage with different instruments and background distractions to match.

The crowd of mostly teens, tweens and even the plus thirties too, were low-energy save for the random girls dancing here and there. Eyes Wide Open – his second most popular radio-ready single - got some sing-alongs, as did of course the closing song Somebody That I used to Know. Somewhat disappointing was the absence of a female voice during the Kimbra part of the song, but the women in the crowd stepped in to help out.

Many would be surprised to know Gotye has actually been around for awhile, and Somebody That I used to Know was a single from his third album, not first. The four-piece band just blended together in the background; Gotye was really the star of this show and surprisingly kept the small audience’s attention from start to finish.

The show would have been much better-attended at University of Calgary’s MacEwan Hall, but Gotye would have likely supplied the same energetic set no matter where he was or how many people lined the seats.

In a case of people showing up for the single rather than the artist, Gotye was probably a letdown, but for those who enjoy funky music and mellow beats, it was probably nice to meet this man they thought they knew. Gotye’s charm oozes from his pores as he sings, and you can’t help but wonder who he used to know.