As the lights dimmed, screams of “Freebird” escaped from the mouths of obnoxious high schoolers attempting to dazzle their girlfriends with their wit. Just a typical night at The Rave, right? Wrong. There was absolutely nothing typical about this group of indie rockers.
In true Wisconsin fashion, beer flowed freely both on and off the stage as the Shins, along with openers the Brunettes, played to a full house at Milwaukee’s music hot spot Wednesday night. The concert marked the group’s third stop on their 19-city tour that kicked off April 6 in Portland, Oregon.
New Zealand natives, the Brunettes got the show off to a lively start with their unique sound — think Blondie with an accent meets symphony band. The group transcended the norm and added instruments such as the xylophone, trumpet, triangle, saxophone and clarinet to establish an eclectic sound. They left a lasting impression on the crowd with a nostalgic tribute to “their favorite twins.” It was truly a sight to behold when seven Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsens circa 1990 blasted out a tune in their own honor.
A band full of Michelle Tanner masks might have been a tough act to follow, but the Shins rose to the occasion. Their set started on a high note with their hit song “Kissing the Lipless” and continued to build momentum over the course of the evening with tracks from their first album, Oh, Inverted World, as well as 2003 release Chutes Too Narrow and a dash of new material.
Any doubts of the quality of lead man James Mercer’s live vocals were quickly dispelled. Some thought they might be witnessing a Britney Spears-esque lip-syncing conspiracy because his unique voice sounds better live than it does recorded. If that wasn’t enough, Mercer even showcased his abilities as a one-man band during “Fighting in a Sack,” manning the microphone, guitar and harmonica simultaneously.
Clad in a “Batman” t-shirt, zany keyboardist Marty Crandall played a vital role in keeping the group’s energy at peak levels. Similar to a child with ADD, Crandall bounced up and down as he pounded the keyboard with his knuckles, danced around the stage and even offered some comic relief with impromptu musical interludes between songs.
With Crandall’s help, the crowd quickly became immersed in the group’s performance and soon found themselves clapping, dancing and even singing along to infectious tunes such as “New Slang,” a song made popular through its presence on the soundtrack of the 2004 Zach Braff flick, “Garden State.” When the Shins attempted to exit the stage, with beer bottles raised high in the air, the audience was in no rush to leave.
Following a crowd ovation and a round of tequila shots in honor of their home state of New Mexico, the band returned on stage with a strange anecdote. Holding true to his role as group comedian, Crandall revealed to the crowd that front man James Mercer had requested a moment of silence backstage and asked his band members to imagine the screams of fans as the pleas of 1,000 people being slaughtered. (Insert crickets chirping here.) Crandall quickly recovered by mimicking his band mate’s morbid humor. ” … Think about death for a second,” he quipped in his best impression of Mercer before confessing these types of comments are an ongoing occurrence on the tour bus. Once the frightening interlude had concluded, the band satisfied the crowd with a powerful encore that included hits such as “Caring is Creepy” and “So Says I.”
From start to finish, the Shins maintained a high level of performance in a set that included an adequate blend of upbeat and mellow tunes, unlike any other band. Their music, to an extent, blended elements of Modest Mouse with an added pop influence of the Beatles, but even that comparison hardly does the Shins justice.
Their current tour continues through mid-May, with stops ranging from Philadelphia and New York to Oklahoma City and Omaha, but the band intends on touring for most of 2005. They have announced plans to finish the recording of their third album once they’re off the road.
For those who can’t wait to hear new the Shins’ new material, why not try to catch them on the tour for a sneak peak? Start planning a road trip to Nebraska — the Shins give an incredible live performance no one should miss.
