Yeah, I saw the Shins on the Wincing The Night Away tour. Loved the album, thought they were surreally boring on stage and it effected my opinion of Broken Bells. Maybe even of the new album, because I'm not mad keen on the tracks I've heard.
They played a private gig at Le Poisson Rouge on Thursday and brooklynvegan.com posted the set list and I am reposting it here.
So the hits appear to be here, "Phantom Limbs", "Caring Is Creepy", "New Slang", "Australia" plus "Port Of Morrow" and "Simple Song" off the new one. And odds and sods.
But I have no real faith in James Mercers ability to excite on stage. At the Theater At MSG, in front of an audience of adoring fans, it is like he had spiked the luxoade with valium. You could feel the energy drain out the room as he failed to make himself felt. Aly thinks I'm a little silly about this, but I expect entertainers to entertain. The Shins didn't.
I don't know what Mercer's problem is. With his Kevin Spacey blankness and unmovable action figure pose, his tidy beard and tidier songs, there is something so dreary about the man and it is reflected in his music. It is sort a long Mid-West tall glass of water thing.
What saves him is the most important thing of all: he writes a killer melody and his lyric is always obtuse and poetic!
Will I still see em if they perform locally? Probably, if it isn't T5 I may check them out. I don't expect much but there you.