Following a less than stellar DJ set by guitarist Sune Rose Wagner at The Garrison Friday night, expectations for The Raveonettes’ Dundas Square performance were slightly mixed.  Not only was their NXNE appearance scheduled to be their largest Toronto show yet, but reviews following their previous dates (specifically their October 22 gig at the Phoenix) were no less than glowing, leaving fans of the Danish twosome to anxiously anticipate an equally memorable set.

Luckily, no disappointment was felt by those awaiting a decent show, as Wagner and Sharin Foo brought their unique brand of understated intensity to the heart of downtown Toronto.  Boasting their trademark mix of loud guitars and various distortion techniques, the two ripped into material from their critically acclaimed 2009 release, In and Out of Control, while taking listeners on an enthusiastic trip down memory lane for tracks like Lust and Dead Sound.

While it may have seemed surprising that a band like The Raveonettes were slated to open for an act like Iggy and the Stooges, their intensity grew as their set continued, peaking interest in diehard Iggy fans as murmurs of support rippled through the ever-growing crowd.  (More than once I was asked who the band was, and each answer was usually followed by a head nod and exclamation of approval.)

However, while the duo were able to successfully translate album material to a live setting, the anxious and quickly expanding audience did seem to take away from what Wagner and Foo were attempting to deliver.  While those in the front may have experienced “The Raveonettes in concert”, many of us were trying to prevent being pushed, shoved or groped by concert-goers ready to worship the godfather of punk.  And while they were both undoubtedly giving it their all, the tumultuous setting was slightly distracting – although this clearly isn’t the fault of the band.

Though despite the turbulence of Yonge and Dundas Square pre-Iggy, The Raveonettes succeeded in positively representing their band as a group capable of delivering a sincere, energetic and powerful performance.  While you can’t help but think that they may be better suited for smaller venues where the emotion of their records can be better articulated, they still managed to step up to the challenge of playing to a crowd with no limits, using their lengthy guitar solos and dreamy vocals to prevent being overshadowed by punk rock royalty.