The Shins

After three long years of near misses, I finally saw The Shins tonight!

Twice I missed their shows in my old home of Austin, TX due to prior out of town engagements and once I missed seeing them on a trip to Chicago due to my late knowledge of the show and the fact that it was very sold out.

But this time, I was in town when they rolled through Nashville. It was all that I'd hoped for and more. I really love their songwriting so much and they were very successful in replicating the dramatic and beautiful sound on their albums in a live setting. Based on the crowd, I have to think that some people would never have discovered the wonders of the Shins without the help of the Garden State soundtrack. That's a great thing for an inde rock band but it is a sad commentary on the lack of access the general public has to such great music. But no matter how you hear about them, it's hard not to love The Shins and the wonderful noise they make.

The opening act was even good! Usually, they are entertaining, but you want them to move on so the headliner can play. But this was one of the few times that I have really appreciated the opening band. They were The Brunettes and their sound was an interesting amalgam of pop music. They had lots of noticeable musical influences, namely pop and vocal harmony bands of the late '50s and '60s. A more contemporary but still indie comparison I noticed almost immediately was to Imperial Teen. Incidentally, Imperial Teen is another opening band that I enjoyed almost as much as the headliner of that show (the reunited Breeders in case you were wondering).

Now if only I could get to see The Arcade Fire, I would be up to date with seeing all of my current "favorite" bands!