On Oct. 11, California based band “Shannon & The Clams” brought their signature retro sound and infectious energy to the Shrine Social Club, transforming the iconic venue into a time capsule of ’60s garage rock and doo-wop with a modern edge.
The performance began promptly at 8 p.m. with local Boise, Idaho band, “Papas”, the band showcases traditional garage band style music. The Deslondes, a New Orleans-based band, were second to take the stage.
The Deslondes put on a lively performance with their Appalachian twang and bluesy rock. The band members captivated just about every concertgoer with their onstage chemistry as they passed around instruments.The Deslondes may not be well-known yet, but they are certainly on their way.
After the Deslondes concluded their performance, an anxious buzz settled over the crowd as the anticipation grew. Shannon & The Clams have not been back in Boise since performing at the Treefort Music Festival in 2021.
As the lights darkened, the crowd burst into cheers as Shannon and her clams made their way to the stage. The band includes vocals from bassist Shannon Shaw, guitarist Cody Blanchard, and keyboardist Will Sprott, along with drums by Nate Mahan.
An unknown concert goer passes flowers to those around them, in return, they must be passed to Shaw throughout the performance.
Without warning, the band dives right into their 2015 hit, “Point of Being Right”, the vocals of Shaw piercing through the crowd, a sound that can only be described as pure retro soul.
The band played a variety of their big tracks, their most recent album titled “The Moon is in the Wrong Place” was released in May of 2024 after the death of Shaw’s fiancé Joe Haener just weeks before their wedding date. The tracks from this album are infused with a sweet and tender grief, as well as pure love for the late fiancé. It is impossible to not feel this melancholy reverberating off the walls.
Right before the band plays “Dali’s Clock” from their 2024 album, Shaw exclaims “Thank you,” the crowd roars as Shaw continues, “TGIF [Thank God it’s Friday] everybody”.
Fans swayed and danced as the band delivered a powerful, nostalgia-fueled performance of their 2013 hit “Ozma”.
The walls of the Shrine nearly shake as Shaw and Blanchard’s canny voices expand beyond the crowd singing, “Well I’ve seen you in my dreams, you’ve regrown all your teeth / You’re sniffing flowers all day long, and laying in the sun.”
The band continues to travel through their discography playing “So Lucky”, “The Moon is in the Wrong Place”, “The Boy” and “Bean Fields”.
Shaw showcases her loving grief as she nearly howls the lyrics to “Bean Fields”. An infectious love for life plagues the crowd as they sing along to the lyrics, “I heard I must keep living / I know you’d want me to / So let’s live this life to pieces / Dedicate each day to you.”
The band concludes their performance, a collective heartbreak seeps into the crowd as the show is seemingly over.
The lights dim and the venue speakers begin playing the intro to the beloved 2024 track “Real Or Magic”, the band makes their way back to the stage as ear-piercing cheers fill the Shrine’s ballroom.
“Woke up from another terrible night / Bad dreams working overtime,” Shaw sang. “But then I looked into his beautiful eyes / You were there, you were bathed in light.”
The band delivers a raw performance to the Shrine’s crowd, a visceral energy fills the ballroom as Shaw continues to sing. Every single crowd member was merely entranced by the performance.
For their last and final song, “The Deslondes” come back on stage holding Shaw’s little chihuahua “Spanky”. All members on stage sing a cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”, a mere whiplashing performance with heavy bass and drums. The head banging crowd goes wild.
The concert truly ends and the venue lights turn on, star-struck faces paint the crowd as concertgoers awe at what they had just experienced.
Shannon & The Clams brought a sweet and tender exploration of grief and life to Boise’s Shrine Social Club, a wonderful experience for all of those who joined. It is safe to say that Shannon and her clams will always have a special place in Boise.
