She and Him Brave the New York City Heat Wave

New York was hit with a heat wave during She and Him's Tuesday night set at Terminal 5, but you couldn't tell from the bright-eyed duo's performance. M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel displayed effortless cool while playing their brand of retro love songs to the packed crowd.

Decked in a below-the-knee, '50s-style lilac dress, Deschanel spent much of the evening bouncing gleefully with her background singers while hitting a tambourine. Her powerful voice, which usually sounds daintier on record, filled up the entire sold-out venue. A cast of back-up musicians helped the indie pair create a more full-bodied sound, but left at various times throughout the set so that She and Him could play alone.

There were a few hiccups during the night, when the group had to restart three of its songs. "Is there a Wurlitzer tuner in the house?" deadpanned the frontwoman at one point. The first half of the show favored tunes from the group's 2008 debut, 'Volume 1,' including 'Change Is Hard,' 'Sweet Darlin'' and 'I Was Made for You.' The band also included several 'Volume 2' tracks and M. Ward's solo in 'Ridin' In My Car' elicited many screams from the audience. She and Him even played a cover of Ward's own 'Magic Trick' and closed with a wailing rendition of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' 'I Put a Spell on You.'

Deschanel also took the opportunity to school the audience on concert photography. "Do you know how to turn the flashes off your camera?" she asked the crowd. "I don't meant to be bossy, but it ruins the vibe." With that issue settled, She and Him delivered an acoustic version of 'You Really Got a Hold on Me,' undisturbed by flashes and illuminated only by floor-level stage lights.