One of the more intriguing shows of Northside Festival was the collaborative performance between Michael Cera (yes, that one) and Alden Penner (of The Unicorns). The two played a one-off performance at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn to share some of their own new music, as well as some of Penner’s more recent solo effort.
Many people like myself were interested to see in what capacity Cera would be participating with Penner, and the results were very exciting. They performed with an additional member who mostly played drums. However, the whole show was a rotation shift of instruments between the trio, with all taking turns with the guitar, bass, keys, and even drums. Cera and Penner swapped duties depending on the song.
Some of Penner’s material was played from solo efforts such as his new EP Canada in Space which was released in late June via City Slang Records, as well as “Elope,” from his Penner’s previous band Clues. Their collaborative stuff sounded exactly like you’d imagine it would, a mix of Penner’s work with The Unicorns, that pop-minded eccentricity that bodes quite well with Cera. It was cool to see Cera helm some songs of his own, a rather personal display from the big time actor.
No further details of what exactly is next for the duo, but fingers crossed that we will hear more from these two very soon.
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