For those who own Erasure's "Pop! -- The First Twenty Hits," a few strobe lights with color filters and a decent stereo, there was no reason to attend the group's first U.S. concert in five years. Unless, of course, they're hardcore Erasureheads, which, undoubtedly described most of the audience Tuesday night at Irving Plaza.

Those who have seen Erasure perform live know that "concert" is really a poor term for the event. With music by the Bee Gees, the Communards, and the Village People blasting from the speakers before the show and hundreds of balloons lining the venue, Irving Plaza seemed more like a New Year's Eve coming out party than a rock show. And with vocalist Andy Bell, one of the first and only openly gay frontmen in pop, strutting flamboyantly around the stage in a glittering suit, the evening seemed a less a concert than a celebration.

Just a little over a month before Erasure releases its tenth album, "Cowboy," fans were treated to many of the group's greatest hits, which were selected by audience members from a top hat full of the group's classics. Kicking off with one of their biggest American hits -- 1988's "A Little Respect" -- Bell and musical wizard Vince Clarke shared the stage with only a fancy computer, a keyboard/rack stereo system, and two female backup singers thrown in for good measure.

Erasure's usual gender-bending theatrically and outrageous props and costumes were unfortunately absent, apparently tucked away for their full-on tour after the new album's release. And even if the group's lack of musicianship was immediately obvious -- their music is computer-generated, computer-enhanced, and computer-executed -- this was stripped-down Erasure at its best. (Clarke did occasionally pick up an acoustic-looking guitar, although whether it was plugged in was a mystery).

Bell's high-pitched falsetto and charismatic stage presence make some songs perfect Erasure covers, and Blondie's "Heart of Glass" is one of them. Bell seemed a natural as he slid across the stage Debbie Harry-style, encouraging the crowd to "Let's all be Debbie Harry." ABBA's "Take A Chance On Me" is also makes an ideal cover, although the live version of the song lacked the flamboyant synth-pop bliss found on "ABBA-esque," the band's ode to the Swedish pop stars.

"Chains of Love," "Sometimes," Victim of Love," and "Chorus" all followed before Clarke and Bell introduced the new material. "In My Arms," a traditional seductive love ballad served up in typical Erasure fashion brought on instant stagnancy to the crowd, which was clearly enjoying its trip back to the greed decade. "Rain," another cut from "Cowboy," perked-up the crowd's dancing shoes a little, but Bell and Clarke obviously recognized the new material would have to take a back seat.

At one point, Bell was unhappy with the audience-selected next tune, stating emphatically, "We're not going to do that one," and getting away with it. Later, Clarke took a turn sticking his hand into the grab bag and, with a little cheating, pulled out "Oh L'Amour." The crowd was sent reeling into synth-pop heaven as Bell commented afterwards, "It's real thirsty work being an 'Oh L'Amour' boy."

Closing with the upbeat anthem "Stop," Erasure left the crowd begging for more. Encores of "Love to Hate You" and "Star" brought the show to a powerful close, underscoring the fact Erasure has continued to thrive while their "It came from the '80s" peers have all but fallen off the face of the earth. And with electronic music making a bid for musical dominance in '97, Erasure are sitting pretty.They