Spinnerette Reveal All at NXNE Secret Show

A little more than 24 hours after playing a sold-out show at Toronto's Mod Club, Spinnerette effectively closed down the city's NXNE's Saturday programming with a blistering "secret" show.

Billed as the 2AM "special guest," ex-Distillers fromtwoman Brody Dalle and her new band -- consisting of former Distillers guitarist Tony Bevilacqua and several other touring musicians (subbing in for studio members Jack Irons and Alain Johannes) -- arrived onstage at Bovine Sex Club about half an hour late, furthering the anything-can-happen vibe that can permeate such events.

After a quick sound check, the band ripped into opener 'Valium Knights,' causing many of Dalle's disciples -- some of whom had waited more than three hours in line -- to rush the small stage. They stayed put as the band raged through its hour-plus performance.

Playing almost the entirety of their forthcoming self-titled debut, Dalle and Co. relished the opportunity to showcase their bass-heavy new sound in the small, 180-person-capacity venue. Songs such as lead single and set-closer 'Ghetto Love' were played with precision more akin to Dalle's husband Josh Homme's Queens of the Stone Age than the spastic punk of the Distillers. They relied heavily on the low end of the register to chug along the rhythm as Bevilacqua and Dalle punctuated the catchy melodies with cutting guitar riffs.

Despite the late hour and a fading voice, Dalle still managed to showcase the "Courtney Love with soul" vocals that turned the Distillers into punk darlings. Snarling and yelling her way through many of the fuzzed-out stompers, the singer oozed sweat under the red-hot lights.

Since most of the venues on the band's first North American tour are larger than the Bovine, Saturday night's show was a true litmus test for Spinnerette. Aside from some excusable fatigue, they passed with flying colors, often coaxing the uninitiated audience -- most of whom were suffering from their own NXNE fatigue -- into their sonic web of catchy tunes.

While many of the younger fans in the audience were hoping Dalle would use the intimate setting as an opportunity to rehash some old Distillers tunes, the singer didn't oblige. The show made it clear that this is a new project and, in essence, a new Dalle -- older and wiser. But fear not: Spinnerette are still a hard-rocking machine.