Shinyribs Bring Texas Soul-boogie Party to Sold Out Portland, OR Crowd (SHOW REVIEW)

The weather may get all the attention, but the hottest thing in Texas these days is Shinyribs. For years, the swamp-pop-meets-Texas-soul band that started as a side project for members of Austin’s beloved alt-country outfit The Gourds was something of a secret that stayed within the borders of the Lone Star State. But you can only keep a band as talented as this one in the bag for so long, and the last handful of years has seen front man Kevin Russell and co. conga lining their way across the country for shows that always leave audiences wanting more. Now, with a fresh release called Transit Damage (REVIEW) out in the world, Shinyribs is once again bringing their lively escapades on the road and on Thursday, July 27th, they hit Portland, Oregon for a sold out show at Mississippi Studios. 

Fashionably late to the stage, Russell was introduced by his bearded hype man with a tongue-in-cheek style befitting of a gravy-soaked James Brown. The Shinyribs maestro took the stage and the 9-piece band dropped into the country-soul romp “Red Quasar.” “Doin’ It (With Ya)” shined with its pedal steel guitar solo and got the party going complete with Russell’s high kicks. He donned his signature ukulele on the charming new tune “Little Drops of Summer,” giving the Shiny Soul Sisters the chance to showcase their harmonies as well as their own coordinated dance moves. “Devilsong” was a twangy, slow burning morsel of Southern gospel-soul that proved to be a sleeper hit of the night as each band member stepped in with a solo, while the clever and heartfelt “Simply Belong To You” was a testament to the good vibes this band brings as well as Russell’s songwriting talent. One of the biggest moments of the evening came when the new tune “Dark Cloud” segued into a sprawling, medley-drenched version of longtime favorite “Take Me Lake Charles” that unfolded into a musical, crowd-pleasing adventure with snippets of “Drive My Car,” “Take Me To The River,” “Slow Ride” and others before Russell skillfully steered the ship back to “Lake Charles.” That could’ve been a proper closer for any band, but the Shinyribs parade continued marching on with the sly funk workout “Reconsider It,” the early-career fave “Who Built the Moon” shimmering with Shiny Soul Sister background vocals, and the country-disco-yodel explosion of “Song of Lime Juice & Despair,” among others.  

By the end of their set, there was no question that Shinyribs have earned well-deserved attention from an array of fans, many of whom are only just discovering the band. Though The Gourds long maintained a respectful cult following, Russell has always been a truly underrated songwriter, singer, and all around showman worthy of the biggest stages. Onstage in Portland, he channeled all of those things while utilizing every member of his band to the maximum degree of entertainment. It wasn’t simply the fact that he made his audience feel good through dancing and singing along, but in the way he did it while sharing lesser-known influences of swamp pop, Gulf Coast Soul and Texas country alongside contemporary pop and funk to make for a sound that was potently fresh. This kind of magic is difficult to find these days. Lucky for us, Shinyribs plan to continue sharing it all summer long as they take their party across the country.