Last Night: Michael Cera Plays Bass for New Sub Pop Signee Mister Heavenly's First Show

Michael Cera in 2008's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

In advance of new Sub Pop band Mister Heavenly's first show last night at The Moore (opening for Passion Pit), there was no way of really knowing what to expect. That's not to say excitement levels weren't high, however - it was known the group includes Honus Honus of Man Man, Nick Thorburn of Islands and Modest Mouse drummer Joe Plummer.

Well, it's safe to say no one really expected to see who was on bass: actor Michael Cera, who showed off his musical skills in this year's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The funnyman had cell phone cameras on him during the entire 30-minute set, of which about half of Passion Pit's eventual audience enjoyed. His awkward, typecast humor even came through during one song when Cera lost the strap of his white teardrop bass, finished the song, asked the jubilant hipsters if they liked the Barenaked Ladies and proceeded to start "One Week" before Mister Heavenly quickly launched into another original tune. And the humor didn't end there, with Thorburn announcing the band hailed from Spokane, then Tacoma and eventually Snoqualmie County.

As for the rest of Mister Heavenly's debut set, it sounded a lot like the mash-up of Man Man and Unicorns that Honus Honus described to Spinner. Both Honus Honus (on keyboards) and Thorburn took confident turns at vocals, while each song delivered a nice bite that filled The Moore better than most new bands could hope for. Best of all was the closer, a two-minute romp that, at its conclusion, saw Honus Honus and Thorburn abruptly walk off stage, leaving a grinning Cera to take in some more screams from the star-struck crowd.

Conversely, the night's headliners, Passion Pit, were everything you'd expect - bubbly anthems, bright lights, frontman Michael Angelakos' voice dropping about eight octaves when he spoke to the impressive Tuesday night crowd and an encore that saved their most overrated song, "Sleepyhead," for last. It was Passion Pit by-the-numbers, which turns out to be an excellent live show, and Angelakos promised to return with a new album in the near future.

But for everyone who showed up early and witnessed Mister Heavenly's first show, it will forever be remembered as The Night Michael Cera Played Bass Before Passion Pit.

Random Notebook Dump: Passion Pit's cover of The Cranberries' 1993 hit "Dreams" fit Angelakos' falsetto vocals perfectly and had The Moore in sing-along mode.

Passion Pit Set List
I've Got Your Number
Make Light
Better Things
The Reeling
Moth's Wings
To Kingdom Come
Swimming in the Flood
Let Your Love Grow Tall
Live to Tell the Tale
Folds in Your Hands
Smile Upon Me
Little Secrets

Encore:
Eyes as Candles
Dreams (The Cranberries cover)
Sleepyhead