Flaming Lips, NXNE: Iconic Rockers Headline Triumphant Spinner Concert in Toronto (Live-Blog)

Portugal. the Man
Portland, Oregon by way of Alaska four-piece Portugal. the Man trade in similar waters as the likes of Sufjan Stevens, though you wouldn't have known it from the band's Yonge-Dundas set. The band noticeably toughen up their sound live and it seems as though their aims for broader purchase will involve being more "rawk." A cover of the Beatles' "Helter Skelter" couldn't have been less jam band. In fact, it was more Zeppelin than Fab Four. A charming version of "the Sun" betrayed the band's softer side, but it wasn't America soft so much as it was CSNY soft.

Oberhofer
Brooklyn, New York's Oberhofer were far more bristling and bombastic than they're given credit for. Being a "Brooklyn" band and wearing skinny jeans probably didn't help those preconceptions, but the band overcame hipster alerts in the best possible way -- with noise. "Haus" was well done. And band leader Brad Oberhofer's dizzy wander about Yonge-Dundas Square during an extended jam finished in a thrash that would've made And They Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead proud if there had been more instrument-busting.

Of Montreal
I'm reasonably certain there were some actual songs played during Athens, Georgia band Of Montreal's set. I mean, I heard them, and I was aware there was some sort of sonic something in the air. But the band's actual music was secondary to the spandex performance art spectacle being undertaken by their troupe of dancers. There was a series of pink Wolverines, a referee, a kooky Pan character, lots of pig people, glittering bikini babes, some crawling Captain America thing, luchadores, what might have been Dr. Who villains... it was exhausting. If there was a narrative I lost it. But it didn't matter.

Art vs. Science
Australian dance-rock trio Art vs. Science may once and for all finally put an end to Men at Work and Crocodile Dundee jokes. A breakout act in their homeland, there's definitely something to their propulsive rock. Clad in ridiculous silver jumpsuits and propelled by Dan McNamee's ballsy frontman routine -- featuring beer chugging -- the band plowed through an epic "Magic Fountain" and a two-official language-friendly "Parlez-Vous Francais." It was a performance truly worthy of the band's rocket man outfits.

Hollerado
Toronto-based four-piece Hollerado have become as well known for eccentricities like their painted van and weird videos, but the fact remains they're a hard-touring band who deliver their potent singalong Weezer rock with confidence. Early set number "Juliette" was far more spiked than the version found on Record in a Bag. Later on, the section that included a Clash-level, all-the-guitarists-at-the-front-shouting take on "Philadelphia," along with the party rock of "Do the Doot Da Doot Do," was undeniable. Hollerado have quite possibly grown into a next level band.

Ceremony
Californian hardcore five-piece Ceremony have proven they're not content to play just to the kids with sharpie Xs on their hands. The band's recent album Zoo shows an act that's trying to do things sonically that exceed the hardcore template. Indeed, there were definitely moments of near-Fucked Up musical adventuring during their Yonge-Dundas set. Still, we are talking about a band who scream about the holes in their heads, and singer Ross Farrar wasted little time in becoming a shirtless, sweaty, barricade-jumping, yowling mess, so it was still pretty hardcore.

Parlovr
Montreal three-piece Parlovr recently turned the heartbreak of their new album Kook Soul into a 2012 Polaris Music Prize Long List nomination. They would also be the first real test for the casual music fans and rubberneckers at Yonge-Dundas. See, the band's messy dance rock is totally familiar to anyone who's ever read a Pitchfork review, but normal folks? That's a different story. Turns out it wouldn't be a problem. Anyone put-off by guitarist Louis David Jackson's Skrillex hair would have been out of there in seconds no matter what.

Keyboardist Alex Cooper was momentarily distracted by the bright lights and ads in the Square -- "See that big picture of The Dictator," he said at one point, referring to a giant Sacha Baron Cohen looming over everyone, "that's my dad." Still, between the backbeat that tricked folks into "Married on a Sunday" and the propulsive "General Hell," the trio won more than they scared away.

Burning Boyz
The Toronto-bred tween four-piece the Burning Boyz features a Jack White (not that one) and deceptive years worth of experience doing this NXNE main stage thing. It's hard not to make any analysis of the Boyz not about age, so let's just leave it that they're better at their instruments than some acts twice their age playing the fest. What might be best about the Boyz though is the knowledge that they already clearly have command of a solid record collection. Mixed in with promising pop rock originals were covers of the Troggs' "Wild Thing," Metric's "Gimme Sympathy" and set closer "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses. In contrast, at 12 I was still listening to Smurfs records.

Brasstronaut
Vancouver-based orchestral rock six-piece Brasstronaut are still searching for their sonic identity. But what they showcased at the Yonge-Dundas stage could very well satisfy many ears. The combination of Bryan Davies' trumpet and Sam Davidson's clarinet echoing across the Square and rattling the nearby buildings provided numerous shivering moments. It was just about the perfect mid-afternoon sunshine bake-out one could imagine.

See Spinner's Complete Coverage of NXNE 2012