A great support slot from Portland two piece.
Male/female husband and wife combo Kevin and Anita Robinson arrive with little attention on them but quickly captivate with their edgy songs, sparse in lyrical terms but overflowing with rollicking riffs. Multi-instrumentalist Kevin looks alarmingly similar to the character Richie Tenenbaum from 'The Royal Tenenbaums', a look cemented by the tennis headband. Anita is altogether the more shy and elusive figure of the two, and speaks only to compliment The Shins.
From the opener 'We Do Not Fuck Around' it's clear that despite having only two members this is a band that can make a lot of noise, and the song is a big departure from the version featured on latest album 'Get Yr Blood Sucked Out'. With diverse percussion from a toy horn and a harmonica, their experimentations work well and help to build energy in a crowd eager for The Shins. 'From the Devil Himself' a handclap-led strumming frenzy, and one of Viva Voce's more melodic offerings. Elsewhere 'Special Thing' is a similarly soft venture. 'The Lucky Ones' compliments Anita's harmonic voice very neatly.
Overall the band veer towards their noisy, more chaotic side live and are therefore the perfect band to be introduced to in a live setting. Their instrument-heavy sound was effective and rousing and many of their songs easily memorable.