The Bay Bridged: She & Him, Closing Night of Noise Pop at GAMH

Hype. It’s a fascinating thing. The cynic in me wondered if the hype surrounding M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel’s new project She & Him was all based on the good looks and cult popularity of Ms. Deschanel. Hey, I admit I myself am guilty of being slightly enamoured of her, considering she was in one of my favorite movies ever (Almost Famous) and she has a certain style and grace that women my age tend to fawn over, if in lust, jealousy or disdain.

So as a friend and I sought to see first-hand what She & Him was all about, I confess I had my doubts as to if the show would be worth the $25 in advance and almost an hour in line outside GAMH. And while I should be focusing this article on the fabulous locals who took the stage, Emily Jane White and Adam Stephens of Two Gallants, I regrettably missed most of both acts because of the ridiculous line outside the venue. And Stephens, though what I did hear of him was stunning, was unfortunately drowned out very easily by the chatty audience, packed to the walls, seemingly waiting for the headliner. And as I do not like to say anything too negative, I will only say that She & Him was preceded by Whispertown2000 (it may be a style, but I think they should buy a tuning fork).

And so, She & Him came on with a full band and to a roar of audience cheers and clapping. Deschanel, complete with low-cut dress, puffy bangs and a half beehive, looked like she was straight out of the 50s and sang with the confidence of a pro. For most of the set, she stood tall and swayed back and forth with a tambourine in hand. She moved to the piano for a few songs, and the band left the stage for a fantastic group of songs with just Ward and Deschanel. This was the highlight, by far.

My companion for the night made the observation about their debut album, Volume One (which comes out March 18), that she wished M. Ward sang more. Well thankfully, the live show not only brought out his singing, but his incredible guitar playing, which flowed back and forth between authentic 50s jamming and modern experimentation.

There is so much more to say about their performance. But in the end, any negativity that could have been tied to the hype was dispelled with this show for two reasons: 1) the crowd reacted warmly and enthusiastically to M. Ward just as much if not more than to Deschanel, and 2) damn can she sing. The set ended with a cover of “I Put a Spell on You” that literally made my jaw drop. Her control and emotion is just out of this world, and although the album may not showcase that perfectly, she proved it to me and everyone else that night. Watch out Hollywood, music may steal this gal away.

As posted on The Bay Bridged here >>