The Shins electrify Atlanta fans

The defining thing that makes the music that we listen to music is the effect it has on us. I spent most of my high school afternoons listening to music, and many of those times consisted of James Mercer of The Shins and myself spending a little quality time together.

This past week, however, when I was given the opportunity to experience The Shins first hand at the Atlanta Civic Center, I realized that sometimes, live performances are completely necessary, especially when The Shins are the ones performing.

Picture this: everything was dark. Everyone was still, but above the steady chatter of anxious fans were their heartbeats and quick, excited breaths.

The only light to be seen was the steady, slow-moving stage lighting that illuminated the stage; from red...to blue...to green...to red. The fog machine so strategically placed made the stage and its lonely instruments look murky and mysterious.

The show opened with the indie rock group Vetiver. Their first song was one called "Busted," which had a very country feel. The lead singer was extremely captivating with his melodic voice and animated motions.

Unfortunately, for most of their performance, Vetiver was missing a guitarist who was running late due to a late flight into Atlanta. Eric Johnson, a member of The Shins, kindly stood in for the missing musician for a few songs.

Luckily, the member of Vetiver who was M.I.A. for most of the performance ran onto the stage just in time for his guitar solo, after which he announced, "Does anybody have a beer?"

Although Johnson is extremely talented and did very well as a stand in, the second half of Vetiver's performance felt far more complete. They reminded me a lot of Iron and Wine with very laid back, soft-sung lyrics and instrumentation.

After Vetiver's great performance and much anticipation, The Shins finally made their way to the stage to play the best concert that I have ever heard.

They opened with "Sleeping Lessons," the first track on their newest album Wincing the Night Away. Next they played "Kissing the Lipless," an old favorite of mine from their second album Chutes Too Narrow, released in October 2003.

The Shins' lead singer, songwriter and guitarist, James Mercer, was by far the most enjoyable part of the show. He performed as though I was the only person in the audience, and he made the show feel extremely personal.

But where would Mercer be without the rest of his talented band? Martin Crandall was on keyboard, guitar and bass; Dave Hernandez was on bass and guitar; Jesse Sandoval played the drums; and Eric Johnson also appeared on guitar and keyboard.

The show included such Shins classics as "New Slang," "Gone for Good," "Girl Inform Me" and "Saint Simon," as well as songs from their new album like "Turn on Me," "A Comet Appears" and "Australia."

One thing I liked most about The Shins' performance was how down-to-earth all of the members seemed. Mercer was actually trying not to seem as though he knew how popular a group they are.

He mentioned that a "fellow Atlantan" had called him to personally say how much he enjoyed the new Shins album, which Mercer prefaced with saying he didn't want to seem conceited by telling us but it was something he was very excited about. The "Atlantan" who had called him happened to be Elton John.

The Shins deserve all the credit they can get. After all, they are an indie rock icon with fantastic songs and some of the most well-written lyrics I've ever heard.

But let's get back to the show. Seriously, it was amazing. There was never a dull moment throughout the performance; the entire audience remained engrossed with Mercer's clever comments, great voice and good looks. The band constantly looked like they were having an absolute blast with their music, which kept their fans all the more involved.

The Shins topped off their show with an encore including "Red Rabbit" and an acoustic version of "Caring is Creepy." After playing the last song, they raised their plastic cups filled with beer and thanked the audience.

There was certainly nothing disappointing about seeing The Shins at the Civic Center, except maybe having to pay $40 for T-shirts.