Nasty Fancy

Today’s post is a guest post by my good friend and concert buddy, Elissa Rump. Hope you all enjoy!

Like Sammie, if I had my own music bucket list, The Shins would have been a band on my list. I could not
have imagined a better venue for the show. The Masonic Auditorium in Cleveland has amazing
acoustics, and the old charm adds to the allure. There were plenty of others just as excited as me,
both young and old. The show sold out, and it was apparent by gazing all the way up at the
top rows in the balcony.

Deep Sea Diver was the opening band, and I was excited for this act knowing that Jessica Dobson,
guitarist of The Shins, was the singer. Her voice is absolutely beautiful. I was hooked after listening to
the album while trying to get some work done in the office one day. Unfortunately, I failed at getting
much accomplished. I was in a trance listening to the beautiful lyrics and harmonies that Dobson and the
rest of the band created on their first full album. Getting the chance to see the band perform live was
awesome. I recommend you check them out; they have a sound unlike any other band out there right now.

Next up was The Antlers. I was not sure how I’d like seeing this band in person, but Pete Silberman
and the band proved me to be completely silly for even questioning myself. They expanded on
many of the album versions of their songs, making every emotion more magnified
than ever before. They played music from all of their albums including their latest album, Burst Apart, which was released last May. Fans, both old and new, seemed pleased, and hopefully they gained even more fans in the process.

Finally, The Shins made their appearance on stage. I was so excited I was squirming in my seat.
They opened with “Kissing the Lipless” and the crowd immediately erupted with cheers. James
Mercer did not disappoint vocally and the harmonization from Dobson’s voice gave me chills.
The band was also spot on the entire night. The night went on to include greats such as “Caring
is Creepy”, “Know Your Onion”, and “Sleeping Lessons”. The band also played plenty of songs off
their new album, including “Simple Song”. I don’t think there was a single soul that left the venue
disappointed that night.

Here are a couple videos I took from the show (these are from a cell phone, so excuse any shakiness):