IN the anatomy of indie music, the Shins bone isn’t connected to the hipbone – it’s wired straight to the brain.
At the Theater at Madison Square Garden Wednesday, the Oregon-based quintet played a cerebral set that was smart and sonically pretty.
Unfortunately, the band failed to engage the crowd with the kind of personality and charm that makes it impossible to just sit and watch – necessary ingredients to make an MSG Theater gig great.
While plenty of noggins bobbed to the melodies, and applause was warm, everyone just sat there – hipsters, kids and industry folk alike – politely listening to the jangly pop and Brian Wilson-like high tenor of James Mercer, the Shins’ low-key leader.
And the mope was entirely the band’s fault.They’re club champions. When the Shins play small venues like the 600-seat Bowery Ballroom, they have a built-in, rock-solid fan base. The kind of loving audience that’s so tuned in that it can judge the band’s mood by whether it played “Girl Inform Me,” “Girl on a Wing” or “Girl Sailor.” In a small house, the Shins never had to try harder.
The devoted turned out to the theater – but so did 4,000 others, whose expectations were based on the band’s “Wincing the Night Away,” released in January. The Shins simply needed to give it everything they had – and they couldn’t deliver.
Nobody would say he hated the Shins experience in a big hall, but few would rank it as memorable.
Love me or hate me, but please don’t kinda like me, maybe.
During the almost two hours of this show, the Shins were very precise in their musicianship. Yet there was little rock-show bombast and almost no humor or joy. If the Shins want to inherit the Pavement throne, the band is making all the right moves for cult status.
This was an underwhelming live show from a band whose reputation is bigger than its ability. I’d have liked to have confirmed that with the guy sitting next to me, but I didn’t want to wake him up.