Jun 13

Jun 13 Review: Shannon and the Clams at The Orange Peel

After years of wanting to, and even more years of being told I needed to, I finally saw Shannon and the Clams in concert — and they did not disappoint.

I'll admit that I was worried I had waited too long; that, after 17 years of existence, they might have aged out of their quirky, decade-blurring indie rock band category. I’ve always admired how The B-52s matriculated from “Dance This Mess Around,” from their 1979 self-titled first album, to “Roam,” off their stacked 1989 studio release, Cosmic Thing.

I’ve seen my share of bands who, now in their 40s, seemed out of place straining to play songs that spoke to the truth and troubles of who they were, and how they were, in their 20s. I won’t call out any bands here. Instead, I’ll reach across performance platforms and say it was strange for me to see the comedian Dennis Leary, whom I was lucky enough to see live in his blisteringly brilliant, early ’90s rantfest, No Cure for Cancer, lose his license to assail society when he went on to become the haranguing voice of Ford F-150s. Good for him and his bank account; less good for the uncompromising candor of his comedy.

Fortunately for fans of Shannon and the Clams, there was no dip in authenticity or artistry on their most recent release from earlier this year, The Moon Is In the Wrong Place, courtesy of Dan Auerbach’s Eye Eye Sound label. Unfortunately, the high quality of that album and the show they put on in support of it came from bassist/singer Shannon Shaw openly embracing the tragedy of losing her fiance, Joe Haener, in a fatal car accident just weeks before their wedding in 2022. That information is not something that I discovered as part of my crack research for this review. It was put in the press release that was sent out prior in advance of the show, and it was even mentioned on stage during the show, which was strong from start to finish.

The Oakland-based quartet may still play a swirly, whimsical, surf rock sound, but their set at The Orange Peel on June 5 felt purposeful and professional. They stepped out on stage exactly at the promised start time, dressed for a party you were glad to be invited to, and then played just a few minutes past their listed 70-minute set.

Shannon and the Clams opened with the terrific title track from their latest album and immediately set the tone of seriously fun psych rock with a slightly serious subtext. That song brought the memory of Shaw’s fiancé front and center — referencing something Haener said shortly before his passing when he asked Shaw if Mercury was in retrograde, but in words that made more sense to him: “Is the moon in the wrong place?”

The song, and in turn this show, started with musical beeps that sounded like codes being transmitted into outer space, as if they were sending these songs out to Haener, wherever he may be in the universe. With drummer Nate Mahan’s quick-tempoed snare and cymbals, keyboardist Will Sprott’s revved up revival church-choir chords, and guitarist Cody Blanchard’s garage rock guitar riffs and elevated voice that echoed Shaw’s Etta James-esque vocals so well, “he Moon Is In the Wrong Place” brought to mind The Bangles cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Hazy Shade of Winter,” a classic work that also evokes an earlier era.

The crossover conversation seemed to continue with their second song, the title track off their 2011 album, Sleep Talk, that falls into that category of vintage rock songs they do so well, reminiscent of the girl groups of the ’50s and ’60s — a sound Amy Winehouse also mined quite well. The lyrics, sung by Shaw, were about a lover lamenting her partner’s tendency to talk in their sleep. When she sang, “Wake up and tell me what you mean,” I couldn’t help but feel this was an appeal to somehow hear his side of the conversation once more.

As the band, who were all affected by Hoener’s passing, continued on with their boisterous blend of recent and less recent songs, the pining for their late friend and lover that was present in much of the music never cast a pall over the experience. The audience — a balanced makeup of men and women, old and young, stylish and standard — did not stand with their hands over their hearts, but rather raised in the air, rocking out, as one does at a Shannon and the Clams show. At one point, Shaw complained about a recent reviewer named Josh who dared to categorize their music as “alt country” (strike 1), and then described their songs as “somber” (strike 2 & 3). She did not appreciate that, nor should she. The shared inspiration for some of the new songs may have been somber in nature, but the resulting songs were often playful and even futuristic in feel.

There was nothing somber about the outstanding string of songs — they didn’t hold anything back on over the next hour or so. From “Big Wheel” (off Moon) that had a similar carnival atmosphere feel to The Beatles’ “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!”, to the hypnotic keys and vocals of “Midnight Wine” (off 2021’s Year of the Spider), to the giddy-up gear buoyed by Blanchard’s raspy honkytonk vocals on “It’s Too Late” (from the 2015 Gone By the Dawn), this was good-time music, given full delivery by a great band that makes you think of many other bands, but is not quite like any other band.

Sure, the band slowed it down sometimes — such as with songs like “The Vow” and “So Lucky” (two more off Moon) — but they weren’t dirges, instead, they more closely resembled ’50’s-style storytelling ballads, similar to what Orville Peck played recently at Rabbit Rabbit. “Slow” doesn’t necessarily mean “sad”; posthumous memories do not need to be morose — not when served in songs by this idiosyncratic band.

And when they chose to perform Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” for their encore, the only cover of the evening, the crowd went understandably crazy. Shannon and the Clams do their signature songs really well, but they can also do other artist’s songs really well. Because not only do they dress the part and look the part, they live the part of ridiculously talented singers and musicians.

As John Waters — someone who has introduced them, in his words, “more times than Celine Dion’s Ceasar’s Palace emcee” — once said about them, “Together they make it look easy, but it’s hard to sound this catchy, this original, this nostalgic for something that hasn’t even happened yet.”

I’m so grateful it finally happened for me.

(Photos by Justin Bowman)