The Shins is an american band from Albuquerque (New Mexico) that got worldwide famous after their contribution to the amazing soundtrack of the indie hit Garden State (2004).
They released their first album ‘Oh, inverted World‘ in 2001 and, for these past sixteen years, they are one of the consolidated indie american bands. The Shins have released this past month their new album ‘Heartworms‘, and they will present it live on tour.
The tickets for the concert in London were sold out the first day they were released, and this is simply because they gather a lot of fans, and they don’t tour very often. I was very excited about going to the gig since the band last tours had never stopped in Spain. In fact, there’s a change.org petition to make this change.
The Shins played at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, a huge Art Déco Theatre that can house ~5,000 persons. The venue’s well design facilitates a good view from every place within the room, and the sound is of a highly quality.
The Shins appeared on stage with an unprecedented scenography; drawings and lights were simply magnificent. A version of the skull that appears in their last album decorated the background of the stage, and various self-standing flowers were spread in the stage surrounding the artists. The skull was fluorescent, and it lighted its face in different colors according to the song. The flowers emitted light in marvelous colors that caught the crowd’s view and transported you inside the the band’s unique and fancy garden.
James Mercer’s band had a clear understanding of what the audience was expecting. We expected Mercer’s high pitch verses, we wanted to recognise the song just listening to its first chords, enjoy their melodies, guitars, the way their music surrounds you and transports you to a fragile and emotional state of mind.
Rather than playing their new songs, they designed a winning setlist full of all songs the crowd will be keen to listen. And they successfully delivered it. They started with Kissing the Lipless from ‘Chutes too Narrow’, and continued with all their classics: Simple Song (and its energy), Australia (la la la laaaaa), Mine’s not a High Horse (and their weird keys), Gone for good (country sound), Saint Simon, Phantom Limb (their music in its pure state). They left before the end with their beautiful Caring is Creepy and came back to finally say goodbye with the world’s famous New Slang, and finished the gig covering American Girl by Tom Petty mixed with their surreal Sleeping lessons.
The Shins managed to perform a well rounded concert. I believe it is the key that has led them to be one of the most successful and influential bands in their genre. I wish to tell them that they have managed to build a stronger fan in me.
Stereo Giraffe 