This past Sunday was the kick start to H&M’s Concert Series at Williamsburg Park, presented by The Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn (OSA). Paving the way for the rest of the summer season on the waterfront were indie giants The Shins, alongside the Philly roustabouts known as Man Man.
Doors opened at 5:30 p.m., and it was bright and unseasonably cool as show-goers began arriving at Brooklyn’s beloved outdoor venue. Merch, information, and food booths lined the inside perimeter of the space. Representatives of H&M manned a kiosk in the middle of the fray, coaxing those in attendance to come over and receive a complimentary bracelet worth 15% off all of their future 2013 purchases. Lines slowly formed and grew for beer and wine and the few ATMs, and those already armed with fried food, booze, and clothing discounts started staking out spots and settling in for the first act.
A large, eager crowd had amassed by the time Man Man took to the stage in a flash of bright red pants, eccentric facial hair, and a form-fitting fur coat at 7:00 p.m. The sun had not yet set as they each found their respective places in an elaborate and neon jumble of instruments and props, with singer Honus Honus and drummer Pow Pow taking the forefront. They wasted no time with introductions and immediately blasted into a frenzied and impassioned performance.
Their trademark experimental and carnival stylings found a happy home with the innumerable indie connoisseurs present, and soon enough, people were bobbing their heads, throwing inflatable beach toys, and dancing to their jaunty brass and scratchy vocals and yelps. In addition to their unique blend of vaudeville, pop, and rock, fans were treated to Honus Honus’s wonderfully bizarre theatrics, including costume changes into what appeared to be a French military jacket (and later a wine-colored hood and cape), planking and violently rolling around on stage, and singing behind an alien face mask.
Man Man interacted very little, if at all, with the audience and instead stuck to providing an experience as seamless as it was weird. Their showmanship and technical prowess did not go unnoticed, however, and they were sufficiently lauded following the conclusion of their lively 40-minute set.
As house music took over the speakers, those who weren’t particularly attached to their spots went back to grab another drink or quick bite or else went to look for a place to rest up for the main act. Night was swiftly descending, and cigarette smoke swirled in the chilly air as the sky began fading from blue to black. Thankfully, it was a only little over half an hour by the time a pre-recorded track of strangely boyish and echoed vocals came on, announcing The Shins were up.
Singer James Mercer and band mates were greeted with the raucous cheers and applause of thousands of fans as they entered the colorful haze of stage lights. Everyone was on their feet and pushing toward the front as they started off with “The Rifle’s Spiral,” the first track off of their 2012 release Port of Morrow. From there, they ran through a gamut of hits from over a decade’s worth of work.
Mercer’s delivery was consistently superb, and his vast vocal range won the masses over and over as he glided up and down the octaves. But his engrossing melodies wouldn’t have been able to shine without the backup of a tight ensemble, which at times also included the help of a three woman chorus for fuller effect. The crowd went from excited to feverish as The Shins played fan-favorites such as “Caring Is Creepy” and “Australia,” with a few drunk twenty-somethings proclaiming their love for Mercer in screeches between songs. He took it all in stride, wearing a smile, and thanked everyone for their energy, particularly noting their “good work” in singing along with the infectiously catchy outro of “Phantom Limb.”
The energy was palpable, and the hour long set continued to fly by without the hint of a lull. When they came to their last song, the ever so pulsing and danceable “Sleeping Lessons,” Mercer commented on this, saying, “Wow, we really blew through our set. I looked down and was like, really? It must be because you guys are so cool.” They thanked the fans, waved, and took small bows before leaving the stage to ambient loops emanating from Richard Swift’s synthesizers.
The crowd was hungry and restless, but they knew The Shins would return, and they continued to scream as loud as they could until they did. Eventually, Mercer made his way back to the stage and picked up the acoustic guitar waiting for him. He offered a coy smile and said, “Thanks again. Of course we have a few more for you.” The encored that followed included songs there were unexpected but still greatly appreciated, culminating in a much-extended and ambient jam of “One by One All Day.” They finished with warm, distortion-heavy bravado, eliciting yet another surge of applause from the crowd. The Shins took a final bow, and Swift stepped out from behind his gear to thank everyone once again as they crunched a sea of empty plastic cups beneath their feet on their way to the exit, saying, “We did our best. And so did you. Good night!”
Review by Justin Davis