Cults Make F---ed Up's Damian Abraham Swoon at NXNE

In what would be one of the odder visuals at this year's NXNE, F---ed Up's Damian Abraham -- known to open cans of beer on his noggin and as hardcore as they come -- stood offstage watching Madeline Follin, the demure and diminutive singer of buzz act Cults.

Yes, Cults are definitely having that mesmerizing effect on everyone (so much so that F---ed Up actually recruited Follin for their latest effort, 'David Comes to Life'). And a nine-song set brimming with the yearning and heartache of '60s girl-groups only drove that point home at the AOL-sponsored Yonge-Dundas Square concert Saturday, June 18, in Toronto.

Photos: Best of Spinner @ NXNE


Although a five-piece onstage, Cults relies on Follin's unsuspecting vocal power to make the most out of the Phil Spector-esque 'Abducted' and 'Rave On.' When she's not steering the tunes, her boyfriend, singer-guitarist Brian Oblivion, jumps in to share vocal duties, as he did on the bubbly, punchy 'Bumper.'

If the band still hadn't thawed the coldest of hearts, Cults dreamy, airy, retro-soaked set proved they are not parodies of that olden pop style. The xylophone combined with frantic guitar courtesy of Oblivion and Gabriel Rodriguez that concluded 'Never Heal Myself' isn't something the Shirelles or the Shangri-Las could concoct.

Thanking the crowd often as well as remarking on the giant flashing billboards flanking the stage (Yonge-Dundas Square has been dubbed Canada's Times Square), Follin introduced 'You Know What I Mean' as a "slow song." Given how perfect the tune came across, one would've hoped the audience would move to the sides to allow a few couples to slow dance in the middle.

One of Cults' members had remarked on how awkward the walkout to begin their set was, yet as 'Oh My God' was wrapping up, there was only awkwardness for those in the audience who had not heard of Cults beforehand.

Watch Cults Perform 'Bumper' at Yonge-Dundas Square
See Spinner's Complete Coverage of NXNE 2011
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