Iron & Wine 

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• Iron & Wine

  There's so much to say about Sam's latest album and consequent style of performance that it's difficult to condense it into one review of a show, but I'll do my best. Positives, followed by negatives, followed by a kind of drawing together of stuff:

  From the first to the last moment that night, Iron & Wine was original in every sense of the word. Original in a new experimentation and style in places, as the opening "Winter Prayers" from the Ghost on Ghost album took on a captivating new form whilst Beast Epic tunes like "About a Bruise" showed a man who has a brilliant talent for writing more than one kind of song. Original also in his rediscovered appreciation of his older material, both in itself and in its influence upon calming the sound of his new release. Original seemed to be the word, whether describing the original beginnings Of Iron & Wine or the originality of his new direction.

  Whilst the return of the old was greatly appreciated in many senses, the restlessness remained. There's a perception surrounding Sam's music at the moment that he's found a satisfaction in the soft and muffled image so many of us still have of him, and it's partly true - but only partly.

  The low points of the performance came when he tried to change up and play around with older songs which really shouldn't be touched, like Sodom, South GA and Passing Afternoon. Besides ruining wonderful songs, this also seemed to demonstrate a sense of boredom surrounding his older material, contrasting with his partial return to its sound. It felt a shame.

  Of course, one will never be fully satisfied with the setlist as there's just too much quality material to cover - but isn't that a sign of the marvel we're witnessing? What an honour it was, despite certain imperfections and disappointments in the set, to see one of the greatest lyricists, past and present, live in concert.

  I walked out of the Bridgewater Hall with a t-shirt. It showed the blindfolded artist of the Beast Epic cover, but the tapestry style had been distressed. The colours ran into each other, threads were falling out, and the image had become obscured and unclear. Yet, despite the distresed image, it seemed rich and flowing and bold and bright and, in some way, iconic. Sam has done so many great things in his career and moved in so many different directions, and what began as a set of 4-track demos has become something so much greater and more exciting, diverse and arguably beautiful than we began with. There's plenty one is free to dislike, but looking at the image with songs new and old in my ears as I hopped on the bus back home, I felt a strange sense of awe about what I'd just experienced.

  When he returns, I hope to see it.

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  par tim-cogan

• We have followed Sam Beam, a.k.a. Iron and Wine, for years. We followed him through his early acoustic period. We followed him through the bigger, louder, more pop-influenced sounds of "Kiss Each Other Clean" (secretly lamenting the loss of the earlier, acoustic Sam Beam). Last night he did an acoustic set at The Adelphi Theatre in London. Of course, we were there. And he did not disappoint. The bearded wonder has to be, is, my favourite musician, by a mile. He is relaxed and laid back on stage, and the whole evening was made more wonderful by the setting - a small, intimate theatre, like a late-night fireside chat with your best friend (if your best friend were funny, an amazing guitar player and had the voice of an angel). He interacts with the crowd, charming us with his self-deprecating little jokes, playing the Iron and Wine lottery and egging us on so people start frantically screaming the name of every Iron and Wine song they have ever heard in the hopes that he will play them that one song...And he plays some of them, and he doesn't play others, and sometimes he forgets the lyrics or the chords halfway through the song. And that might annoy some people (we paid to see him! It's the least he can do!) but honestly, in the whole, warm, glow of "I love Sam Beam", it's part of his unassuming charm, and we love him for it, because he's so unrepentant. And YOU try writing and remembering a whole canon of songs with as many words and see how well you do... Because Sam is so relaxed, the audience is relaxed, exchanging jokes and bantering with him, alternately laughing and whooping. There is a lot of whooping. But the real testament to Iron and Wine is that as soon as Sam starts playing, the entire crowd goes completely silent. I don't think I've been to many concerts where the audience is quite so reverent of the performer and his music. There isn't even the usual annoying drunk girl who you feel you want to smack because she's talking loudly while you're trying to listen to 'The Trapeze Swinger'. Every one is there to hear Iron and Wine, and he plays and he sings and we are all full of music and song. He varies the arrangements, he adds vocal arrangements, and he keeps it interesting and relevant. His voice is wonderful and when he duets with Ms Jessica Hoop, the harmonies are beautiful, in particular their duet of her song, Hunting my Dress. I didn't cry this time, but it was a near thing. Come back again, Sam Beam, come back soon. We miss you already.

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  par Meispace

• s mentioned before, Sam Beam (aka Iron & Wine) performed a full set to open the evening. Iron & Wine was the first musical act I ever saw at Red Rocks (when he opened for Flight of the Conchords back in 2008), so there was some nostalgia floating around when he reminisced about the time he “opened for a comedy act.” This was the first time he’d performed the Rocks in broad daylight though, so it was nice that he was encouraged by a large crowd who were full of song suggestions. “Damien’s people are my kind of people…people who like to mellow the fuck out.” It’s never easy to perform solo with an acoustic guitar while the sun is shining on thousands of people, but Beam used wordplay, sarcasm and an inviting sense of humor to woo the crowd into his ‘mellow’ way of life.

  Showing equal attention to compositions from across his entire body of work, Beam wasn’t too cool to take requests from the crowd, “You guys have a lot of good ideas,“ but he also wasn’t afraid to stand his ground when necessary, “You’re pretty adamant about that one, but I’m afraid it ain’t your day man.” The music was extremely easy going. Even “Me and Lazarus”, from the more experimental Kiss Each Other Clean, was stripped down for the occasion. There was just something about Beam’s voice and disposition that held the crowd’s attention though. Marijuana might have had something to do with it, “you guys are high, but it’s ok, so am I…it makes this shit sound good,” but Beam’s performance as Iron & Wine is the type of thing the Red Rocks Amphitheatre was built for. As he closed things out with an extended version of ”The Trapeze Swinger”, you could almost hear the ghosts of the acoustic folk acts from the early 1900s who prompted the CCC/WPA project in the first place. And when Beam finished up with that particular song, he received the standing ovation he deserved. - See more at: http://ilistensoyoudonthaveto.com/2015/08/13/damien-rice-iron-wine-red-rocks-08-10-15/#sthash.9y3ucYmK.dpuf

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  par kmartini

• Saturday 23rd November, Royal Festival Hall, London, Calexico and Iron and Wine. Gig four out of four this week. After spending the afternoon sitting through my football team’s usual poor performance I am looking forward to some light relief in the comfy surroundings of the RFH for some laid back Americana sounds from this fine pair of bands.

  They are over here in support of their excellent album ‘Years to Burn’ released earlier this year and we are treated to most of this plus a couple from their first EP and then a few more from their respective back catalogues and selected covers from the likes of The Everly Brothers, Echo and the Bunnymen and a fine version of Lucinda Williams’ ‘I Lost it’.

  Sam Beam, aka Iron & Wine possesses one of those delicate voices that just feels like a tin of paint has been tipped over you and you are wrapped in this glorious musical gloss. He’s ably complemented on harmonies by Joey Burns. The rest of the band are super talented musicians, the sound is spot on as you would expect in this venue and there is always a danger that it’s a bit too comfortable.

  I am not a fan of seated gigs. Especially when the chairs are this comfortable it’s difficult to generate any sort of atmosphere. A rock show this aint and the occasional whoop is even commented on by the band. I wasn’t expecting it to be a rock show but at times it felt like I was in my living room listening to this great music on a decent pair of headphones, note perfect but just lacking at times with the emotional connection I get from many gigs. They were almost too good, Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the show and there were some moments of greatness such as oldies ‘Naked as we Came’ and ‘Boy with a Coin’ and it was good to hear some of the shared songs live for the first time.

  A fine show but sadly I wasn’t consistently engaged throughout but when they were good they were very good.

  Till the next time keep on harmonically rockin y’all.

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  par garyw66

• Friday 16th February. Apollo Hammersmith, London. Iron and Wine. Its I think the fifth time I have seen Sam Beam, aka Iron and Wine, and they have all been in different guises, solo acoustic, full band, festival, small theatre but tonight it’s an acoustic evening with a four piece backing band in the 4000 seater Hammersmith Odeon. (Ed’s note, it will always be the Odeon to me no matter how many times they rename it and it has special memories for me as 18 of my first 23 gigs were there).

  Onto tonight, whilst it’s a showcase for his latest album the excellent ‘Best Epic’ it’s also a breeze through his entire back catalogue taking in at least one track from all of his albums. It’s a sedate affair with the two guys in the band supporting Beam predominantly on cello and double bass with the girls on keyboard and drums/ percussion. What strikes you most is the harmonies from the girls providing a beautiful contrast to Beam’s voice when they share the vocals. These are not backing singers but strong voices in their own right and it is on those tracks where they are front and centre that work best tonight.

  Beam’s easy going self-deprecating humour provides seamless segways between songs and even dare we say banter with the crowd. One such unheard shout from the crowd gets a ‘Grrr to you to too’ from Beam as he encourages us to whistle and whoop as its makes him stronger.

  It was great to hear ‘Jesus the Mexican Boy’ and ‘Southern Anthem’, two real oldies still getting into the set. Tonight was never going to be rockin and whilst the set will never please everyone, the relaxed mellowness flowed over the crowd who listened with respectful politeness. It was so hushed that it felt like you were alone with headphones concentrating on every note and whispered word.

  A lovely evening where you could just sit back, kick back and let the sweet music overcome you in harmonic waves.

  Keep on chilled out soft folk rockin’ y’all

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  par garyw66

• 16th November 2014. Adelphi Theatre. Iron and Wine. No sign of Gemma Arterton and the Dagenham girls in the theatre on a wet Sunday night. That said it was nice to be greeted with a firework display as we walked over the Thames. Nice touch The Adelphi. It’s Mr Head and The Burgess Boys tonight and rarely I have probably seen Sam Beam aka Iron and Wine the least out of the four of us. Fourth time for me and it’s the first solo acoustic. I am a big fan of the first three albums and so am hoping for some real oldies and I wasn’t to be disappointed. Sam Beam has a quiet honeyed voice sometimes barely a whisper but delivers moving tales of religion, country folk and Americana that has you captured till the last note. It’s a slightly disjointed night though with little in the way of a set list but just responding to calls out from the audience. This works to a degree but does disrupt the flow of the evening a little although we probably wouldn’t have heard live rarities such as Jesus the Mexican Boy in the normal run of things. Towards the end of the set the support act Jesca (?) Hoop joins him for a few numbers. She looks like Andy Pandy with an added giant bow on the front of her blouse. It’s pleasant enough but doesn’t add anything for me to the evening and I would much rather have heard three songs without her. Highlights are the hushed ‘Upward over the mountain’ and ‘Resurrection Fern’ both of which followed Ms Hoop’s removal from stage. A good night but with a few tweaks could have been a great one.

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  par garyw66

• I had seen Sam Beam perform quite a few years ago at a different venue, and it was terrific - but this Iron & Wine show at the Miller Theatre in Augusta, GA really took the cake. The only adjective that kept coming to mind during the show was "magical."

  The set was so simple, yet so powerful: little puffy clouds were suspended just above the band, lit from within, glowing and fading in various patterns throughout the show. It was positively beautiful - much like Sam's vocals, along with the angelic backup harmonies of the keyboardist and percussionist.

  The crowd was eerily quiet at first - so quiet, in fact, that Sam commented on how incredibly "well-behaved" we all were. And then everyone (including Sam) began to come out of his or her shell. His delicate charm and softly spoken yet hilarious jokes made us all smile and laugh, respectively, all night long.

  Sam Beam's voice is difficult to describe, as it's so many contradictory things all at once. Soft, yet powerful. Soothing, yet poignant. Haunting, yet hopeful.

  If you get the opportunity to see Iron & Wine perform live, please don't miss it. It is truly a lovely, ethereal experience that will warm you down to your soul.

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  par cocoprouty

• There was a time during which if I were playing the Spotify radio based on my stared tracks and I forwarded it to the next song, it would always play an Iron and Wine song. This was completely and totally amazing because Iron and Wine was, is, and will continue to be one of the best acts out there.

  I'm sure almost everyone has probably heard their version of Such Great Heights from the Garden State soundtrack, and that's definitely not a bad thing, but there's so many more great songs, like Cinder and Smoke and On Your Wings.

  Here's the thing, Iron and Wine are simultaneously melancholy and hopeful. There's just enough silver lining on each wrist-slittingly good song to keep the tears at bay and help you believe tomorrow will be a better day. And on each hopeful, dare I say happy, song there's enough sadness there to remind you that even when things are good, life is no paradise. Music like this keeps you grounded.

  Also, Samuel Beam can play guitar and sing, so he's got that going for him.

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  par the-illustrious-patr

• As soon as Sam walked in, I was very excited to hear his voice. I noticed two guitar stands and a microphone stand and knew this was my kind of show instantly.

  I'm used to going to concerts that do allow much musicians to be themselves, yes, they throw one or two jokes, here and there but they are not very spontaneous and don't necessarily improvise on spot. I'm not generalizing but Iron & wine's performance was pure talent. The echo of his voice was magnificent, I loved every detail of the show, the simplicity of it, the way he was dressed simple and himself.I loved watching him make jokes and interact with the audience. I laughed so much, there's nothing more impressive than a talented person with such great sense of humor. As I was watching him perform, my imagination got deep and he kind of took me to a different planet with his music. The crowd was fantastic too.

  It was probably one of the few best concerts I've been oo.

  Beautiful, simply beautiful.

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  par Amonkhayer

• An amazing night in Paradiso with Iron & Wine. It has only been on a number of occasions that I have had the pleasure to experience a musician add so much to a live performance as Sam has done with this concert. Every song, a mixture of old catalogue and the new album, was carefully rearranged for a live performance. Often, I would not recognize a song until the first line was sung.

  Iron & Wine also proves how important stage presence is. Even the tenderest of songs, performed solo, had an amazing impact on the sold out house. The supporting musicians were equally engaging and the connection between the band and mr. Beam worked very well.

  A magical evening in a great setting made even more magical by carefully thought out lighting and small stage quirks.

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  par Maupertus