"The years have been short but the days were long..." -The Shins

I saw The Shins Thursday night at the Norva in Norfolk, Va. Very cool venue. And I mean that literally, too... the ventilation was great, and the high ceilings didn't make it feel stuffy or smoky at all. It was very roomy and spacious, but still small enough to be considered an "intimate" venue. I liked it. The crowd wasn't obnoxious or annoying, either, which is always a nice bonus. There was just a positive vibe the whole night and everyone feeding off the energy of the guys on stage.

The Shins were not as I expected; they were far more impressive and more than exceeded my simple assumptions of them. First off, these guys were older... Not like, old old, but definitely not a bunch of 20-something wannabe rocker types. They seemed established and very professional, but at the same time like a bunch of school kids excited for the show. The lead singer (James Mercer) was the spitting image of Kevin Spacey. This was hard to shake after I had it in my mind. Just imagine a slightly skinnier, scrawnier version of Kevin Spacey singing your favorite Shins tune. It's weird, right? And the other fellas were just like average joes, but I mean that in a good way. There was no faux rockstar element, no mockery, no arrogance. Just a bunch of guys up there doing their thing, clearly enjoying every moment of it, and all the while being really sincere with the crowd. I always love that.. when they appreciate you, not in the obligatory way, but in the way you can tell they are really happy you're there. Marty (keyboardist/bassist) kept saying things like "You guys are incredible! You've been super nice!" and waving to the crowd in between songs. It was adorable and endearing.

I was slightly worried before the show that this might be a concert experience that would ruin the CD for me. You see, "Chutes Too Narrow" is quite possibly as close to perfection and poignancy as you'll find in less than 34 minutes of a studio recording. As a music fan, you always worry about how that will translate to the stage. But it was fine. Sure, it wasn't as delectable and crisp as the CD, but I realized that hearing it live was more about seeing the guys perform it and truly have a good time. They definitely rocked out and got the crowd singing along. All in all, a feel good show with lots of energy. It was quite the positive show experience and well worth the long trek down south.

To sum this up, let me go ahead and recommend "Chutes Too Narrow" as an excellent selection for a Spring day drive with the windows down.