Vista Theater Photos and “Filter Magazine” Review

Posted on May 7, 2008

Thanks to tugmoose in the forums for pointing to some excellent photos from the April 29th Vista Theater show and a “90%” review of the April 29th Vista Theater show from Filter Magazine:

Suffocated by the smell of stale popcorn and surrounded by Egyptian décor and cylindrical chandeliers, the Vista Theater in the heart of Silverlake reeked of old Hollywood. A place typically frequented for its discounted movie tickets, the aged cinema lowered its blood-red curtains Monday and Tuesday for a special concert.

She & Him, the collaboration between indie-film ingénue Zooey Deschanel and alt-folk musician/producer M. Ward, supplied the seamlessly vintage, AM-radio sound to match the historic building. The stunning Zooey clad in dark denim shorts and a pink rose in her hair resembled a young child matriculating their first recital. As soon as she opened her mouth for their opening number “Black Hole,” an alt-country ditty about misty eyes and tandem bicycles, I scoffed at what good genes she had. Not many actors-turned-singers maintain longevity, nor do they have the talent to support it; this was not the case for young Zooey. Her crystal-clear voice and slight vibrato at times evoked Rosemary Clooney or Emmylou Harris, but still carried modern appeal. As she coyly clutched her tambourine, we all watched on in awe and splendor. This was way better than Iron Man.

During the delightfully twang-filled “Change Is Hard,” Zooey’s trepidation surfaced – she was definitely out of her element. Ironically enough, she was a three-dimensional figure in front of a large screen, but seemed more confident as two-dimensional pixels and fifty feet up. As she awkwardly transitioned between songs, neither her nor M. Ward uttered a word. She precariously looked around not knowing what to do or say, and reverted to childlike idiosyncracies like clicking her heels, marching in place, and curtseying. During “I Was Made For You,” a song that could have been popular in the 50s, she even warped her voice to have a shrieky child-like quality. Was she being modest? Did she not think she could sing that well or was this simply her schtick? A gamble it may be, but it seemed slightly odd that a pretty accomplished film starlet couldn’t, well, act. Perhaps her timidity reflected her desire to keep the two worlds sacred, free from collision. She was, in fact, a movie star bred into an illustrious family, but yet their anonymous moniker did not proclaim her status. This was a risk: making music, and a highly personal one at that. But it’s ok, Zooey, you did it and left Scarlett in the dust.Zooey volleyed another one of her many skills during “Sentimental Heart” as she lowered her tambourine and took a seat at the piano. To the pleasant surprise of many, she was actually above mediocre behind the keys and seemed a little more confident now that she wasn’t centerstage. I can only imagine the chance meeting between Zooey and Matt: Zooey plays her four-track demo tape, Matt cooks up the processional Sgt. Pepper ending, and the rest is history. Stripping the band away and leaving him and her alone on stage gave way for the show’s zenith: “You Really Got a Hold On Me” popularized by Smokey Robinson was raw, intimate, and effortless. M. Ward’s countrified guitar and fragile echoes coupled with Zooey’s pristine voice mesmerized the audience to the point of permanent goosebumps. Following the songs outro of infinite “hold me”s, Zooey exhaled, relieved and excited.

Trying to kill time while M. Ward tuned his guitar, Zooey muttered “We’re gonna play a song from our record.” Zooey uncovered two more hidden talents of hers (plus one surprise) for the whistle-friendly number “I Thought I Saw Your Face Today” and the kazoo-happy “This Is Not A Test.” As the show neared its close, friend and fellow actor Jason Schwartzman jumped behind the piano for the infectious “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?” and the ebullient “Sweet Darlin’” Her bashfulness was adorable, and the audience’s furor impelled her to endearingly blurt, “This is so much fun! I love LA!” She managed to bury her nerves and just genuinely enjoy herself, and we were right there with her, popcorn kernels in hand.

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