The Shins (The Warfield, 16 April 2007)

Although I like the Shins, I've never been a big fan of their live show. It's almost always boring. I'm not quite sure why. They're energetic enough, but I just can't get into it. Last time I saw them was when they opened up for Belle & Sebastian at the Hollywood Bowl. And back then, they were boring, but that's just because I was anticipating B&S with a full on orchestra.

Now, they are Billboard chart toppers with Wincing the Night Away. Will the success get to their head? No, not the bit.

They started off with the new stuff from the new album. "Sleeping Lessons" was accompanied by the soft glow of lights. "Australia" followed, and then "Phantom Limb." I thought they were going to play the album in order. But they didn't, thank goodness.

They played everything and anything that I possibly wanted to hear from their entire discography. Of course, the biggest applause came for that Garden State song, "New Slang." But there were some other great songs played there, like "Young Pilgrims" and "Girl Inform Me" that went relatively under the radar.

Although they played a great song selection, and a rather tight set, their show lacked the gusto that was sorely needed. One friend was so bored with the show that he and another friend played Cat's Cradle. I enjoyed it, but it lacked something that I can't pinpoint.

My hunger during the entire set triumphed over any possible encores. So, I grabbed a burrito from Taqueria Cancun across the street and I was satisfied.

Beer Rating: 1/2