Courtesy of Harry Leath
Sandwiched between White Fence, the psychedelic rock group with a gangly frontman in white face paint, and Ty Segall, the prolific poster boy for modern California garage rock, Oakland natives Shannon and the Clams stole the show at the Noise Pop festival’s final show Monday night at the Fox Theater.
Shannon Shaw and Cody Blanchard’s vocals were just as strong as on their records. Both of their gritty growls seemed to be cut from the same cloth, and sharply contrasted with their speaking voices heard between songs. After nonchalantly introducing their set in unusually normal voices and warming up with “Done with You,” Shaw jumped right into her soulful rasp and Blanchard into his androgynous, sometimes shrieking voice that could sometimes be easily confused for Shaw’s with their next song “Telling Myself,” from their most recent album Gone by the Dawn (2015).
The group’s attire embodied their kitschy, retro punk sound: Shannon Shaw with her characteristic apron and saddle shoes, Cody Blanchard sporting an ornamental suede poncho and two-toned Hollywood jacket, Nate Mahan donning a cowboy hat and fringed western shirt to match, and Will Sprott decked out in a yellow blazer, ruffled tuxedo shirt, and black ribbon tie. During “Hey Willy,” the group couldn’t help but tap their feet and the crowd was magically transported to a 1950’s sock hop (and finally stopped moshing).
Shannon and the Clams also premiered three new songs, which was unusual for a non-headlining band. The chorus of one of these begged, “if you ever change your mind,” expressing a longing that the crowd also felt for the mysterious upcoming album. Shaw introduced an additional new song by both praising the local DIY scene they broke into and expressing sadness for the loss of friends in Oakland’s 2016 Ghost Ship fire, dedicating the slower, melancholy song to those who suffered tragedies.
The mood changed once again when the band began playing the creepy, mystical occult song “The Bog.” The entire concert hall was lit up in red, and every audience member on the floor was jumping and twisting. The repetitive guitar riffs and chant-like vocals felt like a combination of “Misirlou,” “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” and the music in a Scooby Doo chase scene. After sufficiently energizing the crowd, they ended with “I Know,” an upbeat call-and-response song with plenty of doo-wop harmonies. After politely thanking everyone for coming, Shannon and the Clams left the cheering crowd satisfied, even without the encore that they begged for.
Written by Abby Blaine