SHOW REVIEW: The Shins, Bowery Ballroom, New York City (25.9.11)

'Caring Is Creepy. Love is The Shins.'
Sunday 25th September 2011
Bowery Ballroom, New York City


Anticipation was high in the Bowery Ballroom on Sunday, evident by the large numbers present for opening act Faces On Film. Hailing from Boston the 5 piece certainly proved themselves worthy of the slot by delivering a great set. A sultry blues sound coupled with Bossa Nova drum beats on opening tracks 'Moon's Row' and 'Knot in the Vine' paved the way for a substantial set. The frontman's crooning and intense vocals sound not unlike those of Jim James (My Morning Jacket) but the music is slightly less country orientated, featuring moody guitars, 60's influenced keys and stand out guitar breaks. A fine appetizer for what was to come.

Having been a long time fan of The Shins but never having seen them this show was always going to be special, and oh so special it was. With many original members no longer with the band I was slightly apprehensive to see what musical improvisations and alterations were to be made with the new line up. My worries were quashed within the first few chords.

Opening with the heartfelt 'Caring Is Creepy' and a cracking version of 'Australia' Mercer's signature vocals rang throughout the Bowery like a musical prophet addressing his loyal followers. The wall of sound created by droning guitars and fuzz bass during 'Pam Berry' lead into an astounding rendition of 'Phantom Limb' - definitely the sing-a-long favorite of the night as far as the crowd was concerned. Pure vocal harmonies were beautifully held by new guitarist Jessica Dobson on 'Saint Simon', her true talents and enthusiasm being ever present throughout the show - especially on the amazing 'Kissing the Lipless'. 'New Slang' was played with such passion and delicacy I may have shed a tear, followed by 'So Says I' played with such gusto it snapped the crowd well and truly out of it's previous New Slang love trance.

They also played 2 new tracks which were met with enthusiasm, both having a much rockier element with slight reggae beats and tones. The greatest surprise of the night was the encore which contained 2 covers - the first being David Bowie's 'Ashes to Ashes', and the second Pink Floyd's 'Breathe'. Both are extremely ambitious covers as far as any band is concerned but The Shins hit the mark and served the tracks well, making them their own while staying true to their musical mastery. In closing they left us with 'Sleeping Lessons', playing it so well one of my friends present on the night is now having an excerpt of the lyrics tattooed on her forearm.

Truth be told, I do wish I'd been quick enough in The Shins' heyday to catch the band in it's original form. Their songs are so intricate and personal it would have been a joy to witness those who created them performing them together. But the new band is nothing to sneeze at, featuring Ron Lewis (Grand Archives) on keys, Eric D Johnson (Fruit Bats) on bass and Joe Plummer (Modest Mouse) on drums. With the addition of Jessie Dobson on guitar and the powerful creative force that is James Mercer it's clear the songs are in more than capable hands, and their live shows most definitely do them justice.

Friendly Fires Summer Stage review (for FlavaInYaEar blog)

See original article posted HERE!


They say the best things in life are free, and in an expensive city like NYC that comes as a welcomed bonus. There are plenty of free events offered in New York throughout the Summer, one of the best being the cities musical Summer Stage Series which has shows set up in Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan from June through August.

Braving the searing heat I ventured forth to the Central Park's Summer Stage last Sunday to catch Brit act Friendly Fires, along with supports The Naked & Famous (NZ) and local Manhattanites The Cults. It was possibly one of the most humid days of the Summer which made standing in the heat for 4 hours quite a test of endurance, but all 3 acts kept me on my feet and dancing which is a testament to them in itself!

The Cults are very new to the scene only having formed in 2010 when Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin met as students at NYU. As a result they have a fresh unique sound made even more unique by their ever present use of the glocken spiel. Their songs are light and joyful with harmonious vocals and simple lyrics which make them very easy on the ear. Having just released their new album in June on a lable run by the UK's Lily Allen they are definitely an act to keep an eye on.

The Naked and Famous hail all the way from Auckland, New Zealand and have a distinct indie-electro feel with prominent 80's overtones. They also feature some amazingly dark, almost punk baselines which give them a definite creative edge. Front woman Alisa Xayalith's stage presence is almost hypnotizing, and it's this coupled with the upbeat drony electronic sounds provided by the band that makes for a great party. Their signature single ' Young Blood' from their most recent album 'Passive Me, Aggressive You' was a clear hit with the crowd. Expect big things from these young Kiwi's.

I have always been a Friendly Fires fan from the very beginning. Their first offering, a self titled album released in 2008, was a great mix of funk and dance tracks that saw them win international acclaim. It was off the back of this album that I went to see them in various venues across various continents with much the same result. The band just couldn't seem to deliver live what they had so brilliantly produced in the studio. Their next effort 'Pala' was released in 2011 and certainly showed their talent and diversity when it comes to differing sounds and genres. The album has a real 80's feel to it with heavy use of synthesizers and soft flowing vocals. Throw in some latin and disco beats, a hint of R'n'B and add an edge of funk and you have an album that's definitely hard to listen to sitting down. It gives me great pleasure to report that the band delivered a show worthy of their musical prowess in Central Park. The were lively, they were fun, they played a great selection of tracks from both old and new albums including 'Skeleton Boy', 'On Board', 'Jump In the Pool' and their latest single 'Hawaain Air', all with an electric energy despite the crippling humidity of the day. Front man Ed Macfarlane's dance moves are intoxicating and kept the Summer Stage crowd up on their feet for the whole set and even prompted and encore.

All up it was a great show on a great day in one of the most picturesque settings in New York. Summer Stage runs through August and up-coming shows can be found at www.summerstage.org