Shannon and the Clams are a strange entity. The California quartet has managed to carve out their own little rock and roll niche with a sound that feels like an amalgamation of American music from the 50s and 60s. They aren’t your average rock band, yet their sound is totally one of a kind and truly infectious. Though they haven’t been on a large U.S. tour in a while, the band played a one-off show in Portland, Oregon at the White Owl Social Club on Wednesday, September 12th.
Getting the party started was local favorites The Shivas. Their brief set was loaded with the frenetic rock and roll energy of the Black Lips and reverb-soaked psychedelic vibes of the Black Angels. The crowd responded by dancing wildly to the music or allowing themselves to be hypnotized by the band.
There were a number of factors that made the headlining set from Shannon and the Clams less than optimal, but it’s only fair to say that pretty much none of these factors were the fault of the band. As soon as they fired off with a thunderous drum beat and put their mouths the mike, it was clear there were issues. Shannon Shaw’s vocals – falling somewhere between the Shangri Las and the soulful snarl of Amy Winehouse – and the Beach Boys harmonies of her band mates were almost completely drowned out. When the band jumped into the surf rock go-go groove of the second song, the frustrated crowd yelled for more vocals in the mix, which seemed to fluster the band. Despite the setback – and the fact that long beer lines and a low stage made it tough to see anything happening up front – the band powered through with gusto. Besides, the instrumental parts of a Shannon and the Clams show are their own force to be reckoned with. The band delighted the nearly sold out and nearly all inebriated crowd with tastes of surf rock, polka, and spooky organ, drenching everything in psychedelia. “I Hate To Wake Up” would prove to be one of the biggest hits of the night with a spaghetti western garage band sound that drove the crowd into a moshing frenzy.
Eventually, the vocals were fixed just enough to be somewhat decipherable, and at that point the band tested out some new songs to an audience happy to be their “guinea pigs”. “If You Ever Change Your Mind” was a standout with its doo wop meets R&B sound and catchy bubblegum chorus. By the time the band reached the end of their 45-minute set, even the crankiest members of the crowd had gotten over the audio and sightline issues, opting instead to dance along to the relentlessly upbeat grooves of the Clams. Playing songs off their four albums and even a couple of new ones, Shannon and the Clams showed Portland that even in less than adequate venues they still know how to throw a fun rock and roll party.
