Advertisement
Pop & Hiss

Zooey Deschanel’s ‘Star-Spangled Banner’: Gallantly streaming

By Randall Roberts
Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Although she wasn’t able to bless Game 4 of the World Series enough to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers, actor, singer and native Angeleno Zooey Deschanel offered a nice rendition of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ before Sunday night’s game in Arlington, Texas. Deschanel, whose musical duo with singer-guitarist M. Ward, She & Him, is releasing ‘A Very She & Him Christmas’ on Monday, appeared on the Fox broadcast of the World Series to promote her new sitcom, ‘New Girl,’ a ratings winner for the network, which has further propelled Deschanel into the spotlight.

The Hollywood starlet held her own in Arlington, offering a pure, unadorned rendition that highlighted her seldom-wavering voice. There were a few shaky moments, and she didn’t own it like Aretha did during the ALCS, but the confidence and purity with which she sang the landmine line, ‘O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming’ suggested that the lyric made actual sense — no small feat.

Advertisement

RELATED:

She & Him’s trip down memory lane at the El Rey

Live review: The Swell Season, She & Him, The Bird & the Bee at the Hollywood Bowl

Ludo Lefebvre + She & Him = Win

— Randall Roberts

Pop & Hiss
Randall Roberts

Former staff writer Randall Roberts covered Los Angeles music culture for the Los Angeles Times. He had served various roles since arriving at The Times in 2010, including music editor and pop music critic. As a staff writer, he explored the layered history of L.A. music, from Rosecrans and Sunset to Ventura Boulevard and beyond. His 2020 project on the early Southern California phonograph industry helped identify the first-ever commercial recording made in Los Angeles.

Advertisement