April Smith and the Great Picture Show brought their swinging, old-timey pop to M-Theory Records on Monday. The New Jersey native and her band were surprised by the big turnout at the Mission Hills store, but they shouldn’t have been. Anybody who has heard their excellent album Songs For A Sinking Ship is most likely a fan, and hearing Smith belt those notes in a live setting was clearly an offer San Diegans couldn’t refuse.

Of course, seeing as how Smith and Co. just finished a tour opening for Fitz and the Tantrums, it’s safe to assume that Monday’s crowd wasn’t the biggest they’d ever played for. But that didn’t stop them from launching into renditions of songs like “Colors,” “Terrible Things,” and “Drop Dead Gorgeous” with enough gleeful energy to fill an arena.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and a video is worth a thousand pictures — but we’re bloggers, not mathematicians, so we’ve got both for you. Check out the video for “Colors” above and the pictures of April Smith and the Great Picture Show below, which should tide you over until the next time they come to town.

Photos – April Smith and the Great Picture Show at M-Theory Records – April 25, 2011