BY: VINCENT FRANCO
Melodic riffs and sweet-sounding singing filled the air last night, as Shannon and the Clams took the stage last night, at the Observatory in Santa Ana. Their mixture of 1950’ doo-wop, punk, and surf music had the whole crowd dancing and swaying all night long.
The crowd consisted of people all ages, from high schoolers to what seemed to be adults in their 40’s. You can’t blame them, singer Shannon Shaw’s nostalgic voice probably reminds them of the music they listened to growing up. Their doo-wop melodies and punk rock beat didn’t disappoint. Dressed up as if their 1950 folk musicians, Shannon and the Clams are a prime example of what rock & roll should be.
It was my third time seeing them live, each time getting better then the first. It amazes me that the first time I saw them live was in a little hole in the wall record shop to seeing them at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. With four full length albums and a few singles Shannon and the Clams have come a long way.
After the opening bands and what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, Shannon and the Clams finally took the stage. The crowd cheered as the keyboardist teased them by playing the same notes repeatedly while the band set up. I was lucky enough to see them in a venue not that big. It made the whole experience of being so close to them a million times better. It was as if they were playing just for me.
When it finally began, they opened up with a couple new songs off their new album “Gone by Dawn” which was released on Sept. 11. Although the album was released earlier this month the crowd didn’t miss a beat. As soon as Cody Blanchard (guitarist) hit the first note everyone immediately started dancing and jumping around. It was a magical night as Shaw slapped away at her bass while the air of a fan majestically blew into her face and Blanchard’s guitar playing melted everyone’s faces off.
By the third song everyone was sweaty and personal space was nonexistence, but that’s what make these rock & roll shows so great. Their so full of energy and just for those couple of hours everyone is friends with everyone. Shaw wouldn’t stop apologizing for the heat and even had most of the lights turned off just to try and help.
Towards the end of the show Shaw started to signal Blanchard her voice was going out. Although, they stayed loyal to the set list ( how do i know? cause I took it from under their feet at the end of the show) and ended the night with one of their most well-known songs, “The Cult Song”. With the whole crowd riled up ,they stormed the stage and danced along side with the band. Shannon and the clams played on until the end and gave everyone a show that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Bruised up and drenched in sweat, it was definitely a night to remember.
