After a stellar set from Lavender Diamond – led by the vivacious and charming Rebecca Stark – the crowd’s joyous mood was bolstered even more when She & Him’s Zooey Deschanel joined the L.A. band for one new song, amusing banter and some dancing to “Chiquitita.”
Once Ward and the other She & Him musicians took the stage, Deschanel’s glee at sharing their songs with the audience completely shone through. Their set was, in one word, effervescent.
Standouts of the night were the crowd rousing “This is Not a Test,” Deschanel’s heart-wrenching piano and vocals on “Sentimental Heart” and “Sweet Darlin’,” featuring actor (and the song’s co-writer) Jason Schwartzman on guitar.
I was completely won over by Deschanel’s personality and powerhouse vocals, but I was still grinning like the Cheshire Cat when Ward performed “Magic Trick” by himself.