Anticipation was extremely high for this sold out show as the Shins' recently released album, Chutes Too Narrow, has absolutely blown me away with its pop perfection, and I couldn't wait to hear songs off that album performed live. My friends and I got to the House of Blues just in time to miss the two opening bands, which was fine with me as it was all about the Shins on this night. This was my first time at the House of Blues, and it was definitely smaller than I thought it would be, which was a big relief; we were able to secure a decent spot on the floor right behind two very short girls, assuring us a great view for the show.

It's been a long time since I've been to a venue that had a curtain in front of the stage. There's something so great about having the curtain open to reveal the band already in place, like it's a broadway show or something. I know it's such a minor detail, but it really makes a difference. When the lights dimmed and the curtains opened as the Shins immediately launched into opening chords of "Pressed in a Book," I couldn't think of a better way to start this concert.

Meanwhile, the House of Blues has amazing sound, as it is clearly designed for live music. I've been to quite a few shows lately where the sound was just awful and almost ruined the show. Venues like the House of Blues are where music was meant to be performed, and not in old gymnasiums like the Eagles Ballroom of Milwaukee, which has terrible acoustics. James Mercer's voice was almost crystal clear and incredibly strong, and the band sounded absolutely amazing; you could hear every intricate detail of each instrument, and I was able to hear things like a keyboard line that I had never even noticed on the albums.

My favorite Shins song at the moment, and the one I wanted to hear them play most, is "Kissing the Lipless." Luckily for me, the Shins wasted no time as it was the second song they played. Hearing James Mercer belt out my favorite line, "I want to bury in the yard the grey remains of a friendship scarred," I almost shed a tear from sheer happiness. The energy never subdued as the band treated us to the large majority of the songs from both Chutes Too Narrow and their first album Oh, Inverted World! In between songs, keyboardist Marty Crandall kept us entertained with constant jokes about his shoes, Chicago, and most notably the fact that it was drummer Jessie Sandoval's 29th birthday, which eventually led to a birthday cake with candles being brought out and quite a few birthday spankings from his bandmates. He was the most vocal of the group for sure, and thankfully, he was hilarious.

As expected, the Shins wrapped up their show with "Know Your Onion!", the strongest track and first single off of Oh, Inverted World! The entire show was almost flawless, and many of the songs had quite a few people in the audience practically dancing, which can be pretty rare for an indie show. I know I had my feet moving and my head bobbing the whole time. Their music is a pure joy to listen to, and nothing could wipe the smile off my face as long as they were up on stage.