CEDAR FALLS - Pop rockers OneRepublic staged a polished but impersonal show Monday night at the University of Northern Iowa's McLeod Center.

During a 70-minute concert, the band played most of the songs off their 2007 debut album, "Dreaming Out Loud," with few changes to their original arrangements.

Although the roughly 1,500 fans in attendance waved their cell phones in delight at the opening notes of hits like "Stop and Stare" and "Apologize," crowd members began to trickle out of the venue long before the group finished its encore.

Still, those who stuck it out to the end said they enjoyed the concert, which also included opening acts The Hush Sound and The Spill Canvas.

"It was really good," raved UNI freshman Amanda Sunken. "I really like the band, so I wanted to see them in person."

And in all honestly, OneRepublic managed to hit more than a few high notes Friday. Guitarist Zach Filkins tackled a formidable Spanish-influenced guitar solo; uber-talented Brent Kutzle added a haunting cello line to "All Fall Down"; and Drew Brown earned applause for a flawless guitar part in "Apologize."

But the band's founder - frontman Ryan Tedder - remained unimpressive. Although he's the mastermind behind the group's success, his stage presence seemed practiced rather than personal Friday night. He engaged the crowd, encouraging them to sway to certain songs or sing along, but the actions seemed punctuated by a Tedder time sheet rather than the flow of the show. A stagehand signaled the crowd to induce more applause for an encore, adding to the packaged feel.

Make no mistake, the musicians worked it on stage. But something seemed to be missing from the equation.

"Thank you guys for being so cool and hanging out with us," Tedder offered when he was back in the spotlight.

He went on to tell the crowd that OneRepublic was reaching the end of its touring for the year. As students started to make their way out the McLeod Center, one had to wonder if the band had packed it in a little early. But when Tedder mentioned a second album, set to drop spring 2009, cheers went up from the crowd.

Road-weary or not, it's hard to argue with new material from a proven hit-maker like OneRepublic.

Contact Mary Stegmeir

at (319) 291-1482 or

mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.