The Shins
The Shins – The National in Richmond, VA 8/20/22
Photographs and review by Caroline Frye
The renowned debut album from The Shins, Oh, Inverted World was brought to life at The National in Richmond, Virginia with a setlist fit for the avid listener. James Mercer, the sole constant member, announced the album would be played in order in its entirety— the ideal way to truly appreciate the artisanship of the indie-folk album. The upbeat, and sometimes atmospheric album reaches romanticism with the all-encompassing vocals and sincere lyrics. Oh, Inverted World’s highly anticipated debut was a true defining moment for indie music of its time and the recent deluxe reissue has proven to have aged like a fine wine.
They were opened by the folk band Joseph, a trio of sisters with impressive vocal harmonies and passionate themes. They blew the audience away with their full sound and wholesome banter between songs. Fortunately, they were invited back on stage for many songs from The Shin’s set, including on fan favorite “New Slang”.
After the LP playthrough, The Shins continued to excite the crowd with staples like “Phantom Limb” and “Simple Song”. He even exclaimed the background voice at the start of “Australia” in which “this one starts off kinda weird” which made it so much more raw. The encore was mesmerizing as “Sleeping Lessons” boomed through the venue. However, the twist: they mashed it up with Tom Petty’s “American Girl.”
The Shins truly outdid themselves this tour and Richmond is ready to have them back.
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