Concert Reviews
�
Due to the infrequent concert schedule Shadows of Doubt have been keeping of late, we do not expect this portion of the site to be updated often.
�
May 9,1998
E.J. Bugs, Fells Point
Baltimore, MD
�
After missing the March 13th show (sorry, guys!), I'm happy to note that Shadows of Doubt were still in prime form when I saw them on May 9th at EJ Bugs. As the story goes, Shadows of Doubt had scheduled an opening act for the evening, but they cancelled at the last minute, leaving the Shadows to start their performance an hour earlier then planned. The band hit the stage promptly at 9 p.m., warming up with a number of Cure covers. Then, as Shawn reworked the set list, Bryan, Jason, and Mel performed an instrumental number for what seemed at least 10 minutes. When Shawn returned to the stage, the show began in earnest.
Set One was long, loud and savage. With a duo-electric guitar set-up, Shadows of Doubt wasted no time tearing through much of their new material, including Bryan's "Foolish Girl" and Shawn's "Head Above Water," along with many old standards such as "Temptation" and "Medusa." A few covers were tossed in as well. The group briefly shifted to acoustic guitar mode before returning to the duo-electric sound to wrap up the set.
In answer to a challenge from one of the audience members, Set Two started with two Beatles' covers, "Helter Skelter" and "Day Tripper." No one knows for sure if the said audience member actually paid each homeless person in Fell's Point a quarter when he lost the bet. Yes, Shadows of Doubt can play Beatles' songs; don't bet them! Overall, the second set was more laid-back than the first, with the notable exception of Bryan's example of pure power pop, "The Most Beautiful Girl." Two Shadows of Doubt standards also returned in set two, those being "Freakshow" and "Take Me Away." Both seemed somewhat empty without the presence of the keyboards.
Shadows of Doubt wrapped up the evening with a short, loose third set comprised mainly of covers and other odds and ends. The band treated the crowd to a rare performance of the song "Miserable Too," with an amazing lead vocal by Shawn. As the famous EJ Bugs siren began to shine, signaling the end of the evening's festivities, Shawn, Jason, and Mel performed an off-the-cuff version of Crowded House's "Something So Strong." It was a fitting song with which to end the show, for, after four hours of mostly all-original material and not repeating any songs, Shadows of Doubt proved that they can still go the distance.
January 3, 1998
Wyatt's Saloon, Fells Point
Baltimore, MD
�
After a four-month absence from the stage, Shadows of Doubt return to one of their favorite Baltimore venues, dispelling rumors of a possible break-up. In fact, the band seemed to be in good spirits despite recent news of turmoil within the group. For the first time ever Shadows of Doubt provided a "program" for the evening's performance, detailing the current line-up of the band and the set list for each of the three sets. The sound quality of the performance seemed to benefit from the general lack of keyboards in the overall sound mix (certainly due to the absence of keyboardist Stephanie Inglis). There was a certain clarity that had been absent from many of the band's previous performances. The keyboards were not completely forsaken, however, as Shawn, Jason, and soundman Stephen Harris took turns manning the keyboard at various times during the performance.
A number of new originals were debuted this evening, including "Head Above Water," sung by Shawn; "Gravity," sung by Jason; and "Untitled," sung by Bryan.
�
To see photos of the evenings festivities,click here.