For My Dear Friend Paschal

I discovered the Shins around the time their album "Oh, Inverted World" came out. I found it because I had purchased some music on amazon.com--The Stills, I believe--and it provided me with the (genius marketing) tip "Other people who bought the Stills also bought the Shins." I gave them a listen--and was hooked right away. The primary songwriter, James Mercer, is a poet and an absolute magician with melodies. And the harmonies--oh, the harmonies!--so tight! Sometimes dissonant, always perfect. I devoured "Oh, Inverted World" and every subsequent album. They didn't tour much, and when they did, it was to small venues nowhere even close to where I lived at the time. Like Europe. I wondered if I'd ever get to see them in person.
I finally got my opportunity to see them in February 2007--at Liberty Hall, in my own city! If I remember right, the tickets were less than $20. Liberty Hall is an old theater that was restored a few years ago, it holds maybe 1200-1500 people(?) and is one of the few concert halls that still has general admission tickets, so a committed concertgoer can be in the front row without having to pay a mint. I waited in the cold rain with a group of high school kids to be the first in the hall when doors opened, and was rewarded with the pleasure of standing in the second row, center. I could see the whites of James Mercer's eyes.
They played every song I wanted to hear--and some I had been previously unenchanted by, but after hearing them live and hearing the story of the song or just being able to see it come to life, I rediscovered them. I loved the humble, shy demeanor of the band members (James, mostly.) He relayed to us that he had lived in Manhattan, KS until age 8 or so. I wanted to hang out, to have beers with them! I know we would be friends.
The played for two hours, and had 2 encores. I wished the night would never end (despite my company, as lamented in my previous blog.) I was lost in the strings and fingers and rhythms and poems of this beautiful band. The energy of the band and the crowd was magic--everyone was mesmerized. It was definitely a unifying show--me, a nearly 30-year old accountant, grooving with the hipster high school kid standing next to me.
And at the end of the show, happy fans wrapping scarves and buttoning coats, preparing to face the cold rain... and we realize with awe that the rain has turned into a down-pillow fight of snow. Several inches had already fallen, providing the city with that layer of insulation that makes a snowy night as silent as a sunrise. Few things are more beautiful than untouched, newly fallen snow, illuminated under streetlights as it continues to fall. I felt joy and love and art and thankfulness for life (music has such a profound impact on my spirits!)
I hope the Shins remember Lawrence for that fantastic night.