Iron and Wine Tickets

First off, Marketa and her band were sensational. I think the chemistry among those artists was pretty incredible. I'm particularly impressed with the woman who played the Peruvian drum. As a long time fan of Iron & Wine, I have grown very attached to the lilting melodies, haunting harmonies, and aching lyrics. I very much adore his early work for his skills with his guitar. I knew coming into this event that his more recent work had expanded to include broader musical influence. I was really moved by some of the songs that included full percussion and wind section (Side note: the gentleman who played the flute/alto sax/clarinet was definitely having more fun than anyone else in the room). It was actually a pleasant change to feel almost energized by the music rather than lulled to sleep. However, several interludes into a jazz infusion/new age sound, where the winds sounded like elephants and the synthesizer seemed to be playing odd chords, took away from my enjoyment. Overall, I was very please with the concert, and I am also glad I now know that this venue does not have any kind of seating.

Great band, fabulous set, terrible venue. Could have done without the backup singers for every song.

This is the second time I've seen Iron & Wine perform, and the band did a fantastic job. However, my experience was essentially ruined by an audience that would simply not stop talking for the entirety of the set. It's a shame, too, because it would have been an otherwise fantastic show. I think Sam Beam had similar feelings as he only played a single song for the encore, which is definitely not the usual case.

All in all, the performance was amazing! The show featured a full 10-man band with trumpets, saxophones, clarinets and even tambourines. And because of the added musicians, every song felt new and, certainly, jazzier. I personally would have loved to hear more of the original acoustic versions. I feel that most of Sam Beam's fan base was built on his slow, acoustic folk sound. I am sure more than a few fans were a little disappointed with all of these very upbeat songs.

Just Sam Beem and his guitar. It was amazing. Hopefully I get to see the full band one day.