Debuting their second album at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, the whimsical and fiercely nonconformist musical group Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros finished up their 2013 summer tour just in time to prepare for their next circuit in the New Year. Known as much for their relentless concert schedule as their recognizable 60s hippie commune sound, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are reinvigorating the folk rock music scene alongside occasional tour mates, Mumford and Sons. Expressing a positive, love-one-another vibe while exploring self-image in their music, lead singer Alex Ebert (from Ima Robot) and his many merry cohorts put on energetic live shows that feel both intimate and global. This is no doubt thanks to Ebert’s personal journey, which began with the creation of his alter ego, Edward Sharpe, and his pilgrimage from self-indulgent lovesick drug addict to magnanimous creative.
After strapping on the mantle of Mr. Sharpe, Ebert collected childhood friends, musicians and Jade Castrinos, a one-time sweetheart who shares the vocals in the wildly popular single “Home,” among others, and began playing shows in 2007. In 2009, they toured the nation in a white school bus. Now boasting three full-length albums, including “Up From Below,” “Here” and their recent self-titled work, the collective intends to release some B-sides before completing a fourth album. Though fans may have to wait to hear the next selection of avant-garde musical pieces, they can buy tickets to a show that’s almost certainly coming to a city near them soon. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are undeniably unique in appearance, stage presence and sound, and the deliriously happy disciples have an enchanting effect, even when played through car speakers.
