No band embraced the Halloween spirit at 2005’s inaugural Vegoose festival more than The Shins. The indie-popsters arrived onstage dressed as nuns and remained in costume throughout their set, rocking their instruments and guzzling cans of Budweiser in traditional black and white habits.
Recalls frontman James Mercer: “I discovered that if you take the habit that is draped behind you and flip it forward in front of you, you have a black cloth going over your face like a burka. I realized this right before we went onstage, and I thought it was real f--king hilarious that I was able to completely insult two major religious sections of the planet with one costume. And so, when I went onstage, I thought it would be funny to flip it over and make fun of Muslims. Needless to say, I didn’t get much of a laugh.”
The Shins > Saturday, 6 p.m., Snake Eyes Stage.