Band of Horses Pay Tribute to Pavement at Toronto Island Festival

Band of Horses frontman Ben Bridwell just isn't built for hot weather.

"It is hotter than sh-- up here -- we all gon' die!" the bearded singer proclaimed from the stage during their sunny Saturday afternoon slot for the quasi-annual, Broken Social Scene-curated Toronto Island Festival. Bridwell looked ready to melt in the 30-degree-Celsius heat, though his band managed a set as scorching as the mid-afternoon sun.

The band's music is perfectly tuned for a dingy country bar, with its frequent slow tempos and twang to spare, but evidently they've learned a thing or two about how to translate their music for an outdoor stage.
They leaned heavily on their breakthrough sophomore album, 'Cease to Begin,' rattling off tracks like their biggest hit, 'Is There a Ghost,' as well as crowd pleasers like 'Cigarettes, Wedding Bands' and 'No One's Gonna Love You' in short order. The crowd seemed more dazzled by the steamy weather than the music at first, but before the set was finished all eyes were fixed on the stage and plenty of casual observers had become full-on converts.

Perhaps surprising to some was Bridwell's admiration, verging on adoration, for eventual headliners Pavement, whom he called his "all-time favourite band." He laid responsibility for his foray into music entirely at the band's feet, saying "I probably would have stayed in high school if I hadn't discovered Pavement."

It would be hard to argue against staying in school, but Band of Horses' fans must be glad Bridwell abandoned his diploma after hearing 'Slanted and Enchanted.'