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Concert reviews Music

Shy Girls and Young Ejecta at the Garrison

SHY GIRLS and YOUNG EJECTA at the Garrison, Sunday, April 26. Rating: NNN


In the wake of the Raptors’ abysmal elimination from the playoffs, Shy Girls – the moniker of Portland-based R&B pop vocalist Dan Vidmar – offered just enough slow jams for a healthy dose of wallowing. 

Surrounded by three tables of electronics helmed by his backing band, Vidmar mesmerized the half-full room with his vocal prowess. Sensual and powerful, cascading from low and brooding to falsetto, his voice is his strongest weapon, carrying each track through thick bass lines. The one-hour set of songs mostly from his recent mixtape, 4WZ, marked Shy Girls’ first show in Toronto – and likely not his last. As Vidmar crooned, “Your lips are under attack” over moody, foreboding beats, he had the crowd hypnotized. 

Starting the night was Brookyln’s Young Ejecta, aka former Neon Indian vocalist/keyboardist Leanne Macomber, and Joel Ford, Oneohtrix Point Never collaborator and half of Ford & Lopatin. But Ford wasn’t at the show, leaving Macomber alone to sing over backing tracks. With her feather-light vocals, she made the best of the situation, adding some modern dance choreography and even ASL-signing parts of the song Your Planet.  

music@nowtoronto.com | @SamEdwardsTO

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