March 13, 2007
The Shins @ DAR
There isn’t much to criticize about a show that is packaged so neatly, so near perfect in sound quality, and inclusive of all of the right elements, that listeners go home feeling happy and fulfilled. The Shins' set last night at DAR Constitution Hall was just that. They performed a mixed batch of songs from all of their past albums for the fans who bobbed up and down in their seats, hesitant at first but eager to rise up during the slow intro of “Sleeping Lessons.” Tiny lights hung down from wires above a backdrop of their latest album cover for Wincing the Night Away – a trippy display of micro-organisms. Smoke veiled down across the stage as bright lights flickered orange and pink. Mercer started singing and it sparked a wave of recognition through the crowd. It was like turning on a switch, popping the latest album into a player and cranking up the volume, as the first four songs were the first four tracks. The Shins did indeed play it well, but they also played it safe.
We missed most of the opening band, Viva Voce, whose latest album, Get Yr Blood Sucked Out, has recently received a lot of positive feedback. But husband and wife duo, Kevin and Anita Robinson, reappeared moments later, as they have also been placed in the spotlight by joining the Shins on stage during their shows. Anita stepped out, as she did at the band's recent performance on SNL, to perform with the band, adding her tambourine and muted (was her mic even on?) skills to several of the songs including the uber popular "New Slang." Kevin only made it out to the stage for a little cowbell action towards the end of the show.
Viva Voce were not the only fresh faces on stage. Eric Johnson of the band Fruit Bats recently joined the Shins tour on guitar, keyboard, slide guitar and at times, the maracas. While you could tell he was the new guy, he seemed to be enjoying himself dancing and twisting off to the side. Dave Hernandez was also in his own world, jamming out on the opposite side of the stage and reaching out to the crowd.
Mercer hardly spoke, but when he did it was one of the more ridiculous moments of the night. In what once again seemed very cookie-cutter, the band made a few brief generalized comments associated with the city. They noted a recent visit to the Hirshhorn and the National Archives that drew a weak applause. Later on, Martin asked about the Daughters of the American Revolution at which point Mercer shouted that they were “sexy bitches” who wore American flag underwear. After “Gone For Good,” Martin spoke up once again to add, “we’re hoping to amend the constitution to always fucking rock!” and finished off his obligatory D.C. related quips with, “I move that this show be topless!”
Side comments aside, the set itself was very short. As mentioned earlier, the sound was superb, and the venue was well suited for them acoustically. They rather predictably placed their more popular two singles, "New Slang" and "Caring Is Creepy" in the middle and end of their main set, which had, overall, not veered very far from the album in terms of extended or alternate live versions. Their encore included a cover of a Modern Lovers single, “Someone I Care About” and “So Says I” which together were much more upbeat and interesting than anything else they played, offering a little variety to the end of the show.
Setlist:
Sleeping Lessons
Australia
Pam Berry/Phantom Limb
Kissing the Lipless
Mine’s Not a High Horse
Girl Inform Me
Girl on the Wing
New Slang
Saint Simon
Girl Sailor
Turn a Square
Gone for Good
A Comet Appears
Turn on Me
Know Your Onion
Caring Is Creepy
Encore:
Modern Lovers – “Someone I Care About”
So Says I
Photo by Chris Snyder
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From the sounds of this review, it wasn't a very exciting show and now I'm not so sorry I missed it.
the show was decent-- the shins were on point, and sounded great-- but this will definitely be the last show I go to at Constitution Hall. It's only the second show I've been to there (besides my high school graduation), but it sad to see a perfectly good show destroyed by a venue with tightly-packed seats througout. the black cat show was one to remember-- this show-- not so much...and i don't blame the shins one bit.
Well, from the perspective of this attendee, it was an exciting show. The Shins had great energy, despite the crowd being mostly trapped in their seats. And the opening act, Viva Voce, was fantastic - I had never heard them (or heard of them) until last night.
i thought new slang sounded really poor. constitution hall should not be a rock venue- the audience is so constrained and the sound is just so-so.
I completely agree with #2. I'm a huge Shins fan, and this was my first time seeing anything at DAR, and man it was an awful venue. The Shins sounded great, but the energy in that place was awful. Everyone was frozen in place. I was the only person within 100 feet of myself moving a muscle during the music. Not even a head bob for the majority of the show from the floor seats. Wow. I felt bad for the Shins. I would have played a short set list too if I got that kind of feedback.
tsk, tsk, DCist. Didn't you see the no cameras sign as you entered?
Also, for those who printed their tickets from TicketMaster, did anyone get theirs scanned? No one in my group did. What's to stop someone from printing multiple copies of the same ticket if it's not scanned?
The one thing I left wondering is whether Viva Voce does or does not fuck around.
I was there and I agree that the place lacked energy BIG TIME. I thought the Shins sounded great but if I wanted to hear their songs exactly as they're played on the album I'll listen to the album. Energy wise, it's not fair for me to judge as I'm still trying to come to my senses after seeing The Hold Steady in Baltimore last Tuesday. Also, what's up with the show ending at 10:40? Did Mercer have an early bedtime last night? Oh yea, I forgot he can't sleep.
Were they joking when one of them said to the audience before the encore; "Hey DC, you look like you're having a good time tonight." That crowd was so stiff they wouldn't know a good time if it hit 'em in the head. The typical DAR crowd had no reaction when it was suggested (jokingly) by the band that the girls in the audience should take off their tops. At least they were trying to loosen things up.
Reid, I missed this show, but as someone who has seen Viva Voce a number of times, no, they do not fuck around.
Based on previous shows on this tour, this was not a "short" set but rather the fairly standard, rote Shins set for the tour. 75 minute set, a 5 minute break before the encore, and then two encores (10 mins), and send em out the door. I've seen slight variations in the setlist, but this is nearly identical to others I've read about on the tour.
Fact is, the Shins are not dynamic performers. They sounded great (adding Eric Johnson -- the mountain man at stage left -- was a wise move), and the lights looked cool. But the lack of intimacy (combined w/ no drinking in the main room) sucked the soul out of the show.
As for the stiff audience - wtf? We weren't on the floor (where most peeps were just standing like zombies), but our crew stood up to shake our bones in the aisles up on the sides, hoping to start a movement. But I swear they were doping the cocktails at the bar. The girl behind me (half my age) kindly asked us to scoot over or sit down. And the teenage kid sitting next to me kept covering his ears like it was too loud or something.
Seeing James Mercer play solo at Iota with only a guitar and a harmonica years ago probably spoiled me rotten. That being said, I think it's hard for any band to pull of a "great" show at DAR.
i left the show convinced that james mercer should ditch his very mediocre band and join up with viva voce. v.v. are twice the musicians/performers the (non-mercer) shins are (and v.v.'s guitarist is a babe).
DAR sucks as a venue. The sound in there is lousy and it's completely conducive to sitting on your ass during the entire show. That said, Viva Voce clearly does not fuck around.
Um, when did the Shins turn into Travis? The show was dull, not loud enough and packed with d-bags.
A couple of items...
Firstly: I sat on the floor, and the guards were not fucking around about letting anyone into the aisles -- they practically jumped anyone who tried. NO room to move. I was bopping at my seat, but pissing off the guy next to me who I kept bumping... what can you do?
Secondly: I thought they were really inconsistent. I thought the new songs (though they strayed very little from the album versions) were played much better than some of the older ones overall. I thought that some of the more technically difficult, faster songs sounded pretty ameteur. Kissing the Lipless was a disaster -- the guitars weren't in sync and were too fast for the vocals to keep up... it sounded like they were struggling just to play the thing. I noticed this a couple of times... and sitting so close, it LOOKED like they were having a hard time.
Mercer's voice -- which I think is incredible... like just another instrument... was at times ON and at times really off... coming in too high or loud, and straying to some funkey keys. Some of this, I think, is due to DAR's system, some of it, maybe a reaction to our inability on the floor to move much and give them the energy to play a confident show...
Overall, I had a great time and continue to love the Shins... I was just surprised to see these glowing reviews of what I thought was a pretty erratic show.
#15 is absolutely correct about the security guards. I was in the front row, standing directly in front of my seat, and one of the punk security guards came sniffing around, picking up my jacket from my chair, doing the same with my companion's jacket, and then demanding in his haughty mall cop voice to see our tickets. I've already complained to DAR and Live Nation about the security vendor used.
The Shins didn't seem to be completely in sync on a couple of songs, but I really enjoyed "Know Your Onion!" and "Saint Simon". I thought the songs from Chutes Too Narrow, for the most part, translated well to their stage show. I could have sworn they played "One by One All Day". Does anyone else remember that?
I don't recall hearing One by One All Day based on my memory.
THANK YOU ELIZABETH!!! i love the shins but i thought this was a pretty disappointing set. often at the end of songs, they vamped through some chords, looking at each other as if someone was going to throw out a solo, but instead they just played the same chords over and over. there was too much time between songs and it just ended up feeling disjointed. the sound was pretty crap (but then it always is in DAR).
i agree - though the other guys are silly and fun to watch -- james mercer should ditch 'em and make a go of it on his own.
i don't really like this review. the setlist wasn't short. do you expect the shins to play for two hours? really? i thought they gave the crowd exactly what they wanted. and i really don't have many complaints about the venue, at least for a shins concert. dar has great acoustics, and from what i've seen, audiences in dc are pretty dormant while standing anyway. it was exactly what i expected when i bought my ticket. did you think crowds would be dancing in the aisles? at a shins concert? by the encore, i'd say 70% of the crowd was up on its feet, but i honestly wouldn't expect anything more. yah, shows are ten times better with no seats and a little moving and shaking going on, but as far as this concert went, i thought overall sound and performance overshadowed any lack of energy, and i was really impressed with how they put everything together, especially given past times seeing them. viva voce was fun, and a great opening act for the shins. and then they came out and nailed it. i think anyone who missed out should be sorry.