At Venue on Sunday, May 29

Even after the big one was out of the way—namely, where the hell was everybody?—fans of Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice were left with many, many questions following the couple’s Sunday night show at Venue.

For example, what was the Y-chromosome half of the duo thinking when he put his solo career on hold to team up with one of the most beloved women in modern indie rock? Sorry, Mr. Rice, but no one was screaming, “I love you!”, “You’re so sexy!”, and “I want you to bear my children in a filthy train-station restroom!” for your benefit. And those shout-outs were just from the women.

Then there was the problem of the way the show crossed the finish line. Given that the ever-important connection between audience and performer didn’t reach the spine-chilling level until the set-ending hard-boogie blowout “The Next Messiah”, should Rice and Lewis seriously think about abandoning harmony-drenched pop for roadhouse-ready blooze-rawk? Or, considering that the most mesmerizing moment of the evening took place when the two dismissed their backing musicians and stripped things down to voice and acoustic guitar for “End of the Affair”, would they be better off targeting coffee-house folk fans?

But let’s get back to the question of where the hell were the fans? When not hanging out on-stage with her boyfriend, or touring her fine Americana-themed solo records, Lewis of course fronts Rilo Kiley, which not that long ago was one of the most critically adored acts in the indie-pop trenches. As for Rice, surely there are at least a couple of Grey’s Anatomy fans in Vancouver who can’t get enough of “So Sweet”.

Whatever the reason—and maybe it was as simple as the fact that Sunday evening is the cruelest night of the week for live music—Venue looked half-full at best. That didn’t seem to bother Rice and Lewis, who, backed by a second guitarist and drummer, were playing Vancouver for the first time as Jenny and Johnny.

The crowd wasn’t huge, but those who showed up were certainly polite, as they clapped appreciatively for set-opening numbers like the honey-dipped “New Yorker Cartoon” and rockabilly-spiked “Committed”. Most eyes were on Lewis, who sported fishnets, chunky-heeled saddle-shoes, and a short black dress. But that didn’t stop them from giving Rice deserved applause for both his singing and impressive fretwork on tracks like the biting “My Pet Snakes”.

For most in the audience, watching Lewis display her genuine star wattage would have been enough to make Jenny and Johnny seem like a success. The woman knows how to work a room, whether it was with a well-timed Elvis-calibre sneer in “Straight Edge of the Blade” or abandoning her bass to hammer a snare drum during “Switchblade”.

The latter song—which had Lewis pulling double duty on synth—finally got those in the audience moving. With drummer Jason Boesel putting on a mini-clinic, Jenny and Johnny built on the suddenly electric atmosphere with “The Next Messiah”, and then ratcheted things up a couple of notches with the voodoo blues of “Slavedriver”. And then suddenly the support players were gone, as Jenny and Johnny wrenched every bit of hushed drama out of “End of the Affair”. With Rice on acoustic guitar and Lewis displaying a vocal range seldom heard on her records, the two then reimagined Rilo Kiley’s “Silver Lining” as a pin-drop quiet lullaby, wisely exiting seconds after the last gorgeous note.

So where the hell was Vancouver? That’s easy—missing out on one of the sleeper shows of the year.

Opening act Louise Burns has come a long away since the pre-fabbed Avril Lavigne–aping atrocity known as Lillix. Now out on her own at the mike instead of behind the bass, she turned in a solid set drawing on gunpowder alt-country, vintage rock ’n’ roll, and ’60s pop. Yes, all is officially forgiven.