Deerhoof Thrill at Sled Island, Unveil More Classic Covers

It may not have been the extensive Joy Division cover set Deerfhoof unveiled at this year's Donaufestival in Lower Austria, but there were still a few iconic numbers offered up by the beloved indie rockers during their concert at Calgary's Central United Church on Day One of Sled Island.

For their Calgary debut, the San Francisco quartet settled upon classic hits like 'Pinhead' by the Ramones and Canned Heat's 'Going Up to the Country,' when they felt like diverting from their own brand of experimental art-punk. The re-spun songs helped to carry along a set that will likely be one of the defining moments of this year's Sled Island. With two encores, plenty of dance moves seemingly borrowed from a Suzanne Somers work video and, of course, a never-ending supply of killer riffs, Deerhoof easily won the affection of those packed into the ornate church.

While tunes like 'Wrong Time Capsule' and 'The Perfect Me' were executed flawlessly, the sporadic comedic interludes provided by drummer Greg Saunier were almost more memorable than the band's stellar musicianship. Rambling on for minutes at a time about, well, nothing really, Saunier had the audience in stitches as they waited for a punch line that never came, which, it turned out, was actually the crux of the gag. Saunier can't take all the credit for making the concert feel so intimate despite the vast cathedral-like venue, but his hilarious commentary certainly added a nice personal touch to the evening.