She & Him

Fort York, Toronto ON, July 4

Photo: Atsuko Kobasigawa

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Jul 5, 2013

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Leading up to Thursday's headlining performance, signs were posted around the festival grounds requesting that fans keep phones and cameras pocketed during the show that Matt and Zooey had prepared. And although very few have photo evidence to prove it, the duo put on a memorable show. If being too adorable is a thing, Zooey Deschanel and her back-up singers came pretty close, but were balanced out by M. Ward and the handful of other him's rounding out the live band. Deschanel stole the show, effortlessly breezing through vocals while demonstrating her multi-instrumental talents on the keys, ukulele and tambourine.

Delivering summery pop from Vol. 1, 2 and 3, She & Him were an apt choice for the outdoor festival setting. The pair's rendition of "You've Really Got a Hold On Me" set to a starry backdrop was a highlight of the night, as was the cover of "Unchained Melody" that followed, creating a set list that seamlessly blended oldies and modern pop. M. Ward briefly managed to take the spotlight off Deschanel, covering Buddy Holly's "Rave On" and performing his own "Magic Trick."

As the set closed with "In the Sun," one couldn't help but think of Deschanel's New Girl character — a teacher — as she led the crowd through instructions for the sing-along portion of the tune and then praised them for catching on so quickly, but the night's performance proved she can still hold her own off screen. An encore of "Sunday Girl" and "Sweet Darlin'" finished the night, leaving onlookers happy — even if most won't be able to relive the fun on Instagram.

To see more photos from T.U.R.F., click to our gallery here.

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