Twin Shadow Praises Canadians for 'Moving Past Bryan Adams' at NXNE

Twin Shadow leader George Lewis Jr. (pictured) and his band have been making victory laps across North America, still crafting and evolving the sounds from their brooding, Smiths-inspired, electronic album, 'Forget.'

While Twin Shadow's previous Toronto show, this past January, attempted to replicate the moody sounds found on the album, fans at the packed NXNE showcase at Lee's Palace on June 19 heard versions of a couple of songs that had been run through the indie rock wringer, focusing more on Lewis' emotionally conflicted guitar riffs and fingering skills than synthesizers and romantic self-reflection.

It was nice to see Lewis engaging the local crowd at numerous points, praising Toronto for their style. "You guys are more New York than New York," he said, eliciting roaring approval from fans. That said, there were some jokes that maybe should have been tested out ahead of time; with bands like Arcade Fire winning worldwide acclaim (including a Grammy win for 'Album of the Year'), Canadians probably did not need to be praised for moving past Bryan Adams.

But, Lewis still came off as a pretty cool guy. It's not just any artist that donates a "26er" of Silent Sam Vodka to his audience, and it's unlikely that every city on his tour would be given a free bottle of booze. The bottle made its way around the front rows repeatedly, even winding up on stage a few times, only to be passed back to his loving fans. Maybe that's how he hooks him and, if so, it's a good trick. But, this time, the music also spoke for itself.

Watch Twin Shadow Perform at NXNE 2011
See Spinner's Complete Coverage of NXNE 2011
Follow @Spinner on Twitter | Like Spinner on Facebook