NXNE Live: OK City OK HOLY JOE'S - JUNE 8 Holy Joe's was hotter than hell. The small room at the top of what seemed like an endless series of stairwells was filled with an enthusiastic crowd, with much love being exchanged between OK's mercurial frontman, Kay Grace, and the NXNE devotees. Large doses of Pixies and Wilco with a tablespoon of Joe Jackson make up this radio-ready trio, who seemed entirely comfortable at the centre of attention, but maintained an appealing, if slightly nebbish vibe. Using feedback tastefully, and throwing interesting and unexpected changes into the song structure, the band kept things interesting, although on occasion the "borrowing" was not hidden quite well enough, and both Franz Ferdinand and Led Zeppelin were lifted in a fairly blatant way. These minor infractions aside, the songs themselves were extremely well written and catchy. One could imagine the music of OK City OK playing from a car stereo of a convertible on an American highway in 1978 if not for the modern touches of post-punk and indie rock that peppered the music. The band members were extremely likable, with good humour and witticisms making up the in-between-song banter, and the cute-as-a button, smiling, female bass-player radiated warm fuzzies to anyone within a city block of her. Song titles like "I wanna be your lawyer" and "Enraged Husband" — a "song about allergies," the audience was told — added to the lighthearted approach of the band. One unfortunate note was the sound, which was not bad by any stretch, but while we saw the aforementioned beaming bass player's mouth moving, we did not hear her voice. Definitely worth seeing, and likely capable of great things — the next time you're in Tokyo, be sure to check them out.