landscape crop.JPG

Maisie Fitzmaurice

Review: psych-rock band Shannon and the Clams perform sold out show at Ace of Cups

by

Shannon and the Clams' latest album, The Moon is in the Wrong Place is now streaming. Details and dates on their U.S. tour can be found at www.shannonandtheclams.com.

When the California-based indie band, Shannon and the Clams, took the stage at Columbus’ Ace of Cups in late May, the packed venue was so tight you couldn’t make your way to the bar for a drink. And yet, the intimate vibe and palpable vulnerability made the show feel like a late-night therapeutic jam session with old friends.

While the dreamy 1960s sound has re-entered the music scene in a big way, the down-to-earth energy lead musician Shannon Shaw and the band exuberate, supported by a stage adorned with faux greenery, pulls in fans of all ages and backgrounds in a way similar sounding groups fall short of.

As Shaw stepped onto the stage, young women in vintage-style babydoll dresses stared at their big-haired, messy winged eyeliner-wearing idol with awe. But unlike some Ace of Cups indie-rock shows I’ve been to, the crowd had a balanced mix of different ages and archetypes of music fans.

Some fans called out the band members by name – each musician carrying an endearing unobjectible energy that makes room for the strong unwavering presence of Shaw and her guitar.

The band kicked off a U.S. tour in March promoting their latest album, The Moon is in the Wrong Place. Shannon and the Clams made a reputation for themselves as a light, feel-good music group that perfectly would, and has, charmed both summer festivalgoers and dark, divey bar basement crowds alike since the late 2000s - but this album was considerably different.

In 2022, Shaw was weeks away from marrying the love of her life, her fiancé Joe Haener, when he died in a car accident. Grief-stricken, the band, in due course, canceled shows on their tour including their scheduled appearance at the Nelsonville Music Festival.

It’s a common cliché to say that it takes a certain pain to create great art, and whether it’s right or wrong, this album is a great example of that.

Each track chronicles different turmoils brought on by losing a loved one while delivering a variety of tempos and the retro-inspired psychedelic rock sound that gathered their loyal fan base years ago.

The track “Life is Unfair” encapsulates the underlying themes of suffering from realistic, deep devastation while striving to appreciate life and honor the love two people shared. Inversely “Bean Fields” provides relief from the sorrow with higher energy and upbeat sound.

If you’re looking to be inspired by something deeply human, you’ll want to catch a show on this tour. Or at the very least, take advantage of the therapeutic art provided by the openhearted album.

Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.