Thunderheist Get Risque at Toronto's V Fest

Tom Cruise ain't got nothing on Thunderheist's 'risky business.'

The Toronto electro duo had a tall order translating their dancefloor-ready anthems to an outdoor stage with no help from a mid-afternoon set time at Virgin Festival Ontario. After a slow start, they persevered mightily with vocalist Isis -- clad in a men's dress shirt and oversize shades a la Cruise's famous 'Risky Business' scene -- working the festival's early birds into a mild frenzy while beatmaster Grahm Zilla did his level best to make 3PM feel a bit more like 3AM.

The audience seemed unsure what to make of to make of the juxtaposition of booming bass and blaring sun, but as the group worked their way through fan faves like 'Suenos Dulces' and 'Jerk It,' everyone settled into a groove.

It was refreshing to see that the group has embraced some new sounds, channeling mid-'90s house and R&B while using the addition of a live drummer to put a fresh twist on some of their standards. Having been championed by the blogosphere nearly two years ago, it would have been easy for them to coast on their signature boom-bap booty-rap, but they've shown they're no flash in the pan.

But as the set closed and drummer Jamal pulled the rockstar move of pitching his sticks into the crowd, Isis chided him: "Hey, we paid for those!" Seems even risqué performances have their limits.