“Oh, Inverted World” is just what this world feels like lately. Through The Shins’ seminal album of 2001, they seemed to tap into something universal. The indie band brought all the feels and passion of their 21 years to their 21st Birthday Tour in Portland this week. Along with local Portland trio Joseph, The Shins rocked a sold-out Pioneer Square for two nights straight.
Joseph encouraged the crowd to get in their feelings with lyrics like “If my type is just fireworks” about “a firefly love story mixed with the worst love advice ever received.” When they performed a cover of Britney Spears’s “Toxic”, the crowd chuckled in unison as they began to sing along. The cover was a beautiful harmony of indie folk with modern pop. They closed their set with, “Without You” with so much passion, feeling, and soul. Their infectious energy left the crowd ready for the headlining band.
The Shins opened with “Caring Is Creepy”- an obvious crowd favorite. Everyone danced and sang along to the sunset in downtown Portland. The Shins talked about the tour and invited Joseph to join them in performing “Weird Divide”. The crowd was calm, serene, and swaying back and forth as you’d expect a crowd to be at a Shins concert.
As soon as the first notes of “New Slang” played the crowd’s excitement grew. Whether you know the song from the Garden State soundtrack or from listening to The Shins before, there is no way to escape the feeling that New Slang inspires.
The Shins ended their “Oh, Inverted World: The 21st Birthday Tour” with a great performance in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square. If you wanted to attend a Shins concert to “hear The Shins and feel all the feelings” like someone in the crowd described it, this concert did not disappoint.
The Shins at Pioneer Square Photo Gallery
