The Shins - Webster Hall, 4.24.05

I think the Shins put on a fantastic live show, but I walked into Webster Hall last night with mixed expectations. I knew they weren't going to play much new material, but the setlist wasn't my concern. I saw a shuffled version of the same set three times last spring, yet each of those shows still felt equally essential. I was fine with hearing those songs again, I just had some concerns with the Garden State factor. Those three shows last year were at the Bowery Ballroom and Irving Plaza, far from this three night run at Webster Hall.

The show, then, basically lived up to my expectations - thumbs up on the band, thumbs down on the rest. They were definitely sharp as usual - "One By One All Day," "Pressed In A Book," "Kissing the Lipless," "Gone for Good," etc. were all solid, and some songs sounded better than usual (like "Saint Simon," which usually feels rushed live but not last night). The band was having a blast on stage, and Marty Crandall (keys/bass) was even quoting The Big Lebowski up there. (Considering he did the same with Spinal Tap last January, he clearly knows the quickest way to win me over.) But the sound was at best average and at times awful. You couldn't hear the keyboards on "Caring is Creepy" or "Girl on a Wing," ditto for the bass on "Turn A Square," and lots of little details were lost in the muddy mix. Maybe the Bowery shows just spoiled me, because it also felt weird to see the band so far apart from each other on stage. And as for the crowd, it wasn't overly packed around me but the screaming, the singing along (especially "Young Pilgrims" and "New Slang"), and the overheard debates on the cutest Shin (I'm not making that up) made it feel far, far away from the smaller gigs. It was a good show, I just know it could've been better.

I guess this is what happens when a band you love makes it big by just doing what they've always been doing, and it's hard to complain about it without seeming a little whiney. I actually do mind this less with the Shins than, say, Interpol because the Shins goof around enough on stage to still make it feel like a small(ish) show. But all in all, add my name to the chorus of folks hoping their next time through might find us back at the Bowery. And maybe, just maybe, we'll finally get "Fighting in a Sack" on the setlist.

My pictures were pretty uninspiring, but check out the Underrated for some good shots. And the Brunettes were fun! My friends didn't dig them but I thought they were creative and catchy, and I give them bonus points for all the instruments - keyboards, horns, cello, triangle, washboard, kazoo, and more. Show up early if you're going tonight and decide for yourself.