April 15, 2012 Las Vegas Weekly, Noise

1. The unseasonably cold weather and scattered drizzles didn’t seem to dampen the mood of the eager crowd as they packed the Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Pool in anticipation of The Shins first return to Vegas since the last Vegoose in ‘07.

2. Though it was strange to see an almost entirely new crew of bandmates surrounding Shins’ creative driver James Mercer, nothing was lost in the performance quality of old tracks, as the night opened with “Kissing the Lipless” and “Mine’s Not a High Horse” both off 2003’s Chutes Too Narrow.

3. The Shins’ setlist included an even mix of songs from all four albums, including a handful of deep cuts from Oh Inverted World. The bright instrumentation of Port of Morrow seemed to bridge the gap between the simpler acoustic sounds of Chutes and the eclectic ambiance of Wincing The Night Away. Mercer’s recognizable, self-conscious lyrical style rang throughout the entire set.

4. Friday’s real winner was the merch stand, selling more Shins hoodies to unprepared fans than likely anticipated for a mid-April night in Vegas. *Note to tourists, desert climate is not always conducive to mini-skirts and tank tops.

5. The chilled crowd was obliged to get their blood flowing as Shins ended strongly with “Caring is Creepy,” “New Slang” and “Sleeping Lessons,” then into an encore of Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” that would have made Roger Waters proud.

Web Link: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2012/apr/15/five-thoughts-chilly-show-shins/