I had been trying to see The Shins for years. I was seemingly always at the wrong place when they toured. Finally the stars aligned, and I found myself watching their set at Bonnaroo. Now, unfortunately, I’ll never get to see The Shins with the original lineup. That was something I was somewhat worried about beforehand. Now looking back on it, that was silly.
The new band had been chosen for good reason. They can play. No disrespect to the original crew, but these guys filled in just fine. The songs were a lot more beefed up and livelier than I would have imagined. James stuck to mostly older stuff, opening the show with “Kissing The Lipless” and “Caring Is Creepy” instantly sending me into a glorious nostalgic trip. While singing along with the lyrics, I was literally being hit with memories of who I was with and where I was when I first listened to the songs. That is a rare occurrence, and that just shows how much this band means to some people.
I left the show, and the festival feeling really good after The Shins set, one of the most enjoyable of the whole weekend.
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