clivestaples2Diario → The Head and The Heart/Iron and Wine - June 8, 2011, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
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Giu 12 2011, 2:10
Wed 8 Jun – Iron & Wine, The Head And The Heart
Going into the concert, my excitement about which band I wanted to see most was split evenly. The trusted veterans I've been listening to for a few years and the upstart young act that I've been listening to for just a few months (but listening to more than any other new album) had me equally excited. As soon as The Head And The Heart started into Cats and Dogs, my first thought was that I liked hearing them so loud. The album is impeccable, but the energy of the live instruments made the group incredible. They showed what it meant to make all six members of a band earn their keep, and being crowded to one side of the large stage added to the charm of their set. The two male vocalists split duties between songs, although all three singers were present for backups and harmonies. There was a chunk of the set that consisted of three new songs in a row which were all fantastic, including a slow one about "grandfather's charms," and they played the majority of the tracks from their self-titled album. The female vocalist was dealing with some feedback and was a little hesitant at the microphone, but by the end she found her groove and let it belt for Rivers and Roads. Much foot-stomping was in order on my end, and the band got the crowd into party mode.
The rowdy concert-goers showed a lot of excitement for Iron & Wine's simple entrance. A full eleven people took the stage, and after a brief introduction by Sam Beam they kicked things off with a live version of Rabbit Will Run. Now, I know "live version" seems silly in a concert review, but every single song from the Iron & Wine set was a version different from the album (including new songs--Walking Far From Home consisted of Beam with an acoustic and the full band behind him, but without the electronic heaviness of the album cut). The horn section was on the clock from start to finish, with the saxophone leading plenty of songs, which was to be expected after hearing Kiss Each Other Clean. However, we probably didn't hear more than half that album (Tree by the River was one, thankfully) and the other selections were drawn from far and wide, which was exciting. Tunes likeWeary Memory and Evening on the Ground (Lilith's Song) were unexpected and intriguing; my favorite of the night might have been House by the Sea. Every few songs, Beam would "check back in" with the crowd, which was necessary after the looping and extended selections. And apparently the female half of The Swell Season was part of the backup duo, which I didn't find out until a couple days after the show. Anyway, it was disappointing that Beam didn't do a solo set mid-show, and I thought for sure we would hear at least one or the other of Upward Over the Mountain and The Trapeze Swinger. There was only one encore song, and a puzzling one at that (He Lays in the Reins), but I suppose their show was meant to be more about creating one particular sound and atmosphere, which they certainly did, instead of trying to please everyone in the crowd. It was a treat to see Iron & Wine, but I told my friends I would have easily paid the full ticket price just for The Head and The Heart, and I still stand behind that. I think Sam Beam would be fine with knowing that he was competing for the audience's affection with a group so full of talent and energy.
Going into the concert, my excitement about which band I wanted to see most was split evenly. The trusted veterans I've been listening to for a few years and the upstart young act that I've been listening to for just a few months (but listening to more than any other new album) had me equally excited. As soon as The Head And The Heart started into Cats and Dogs, my first thought was that I liked hearing them so loud. The album is impeccable, but the energy of the live instruments made the group incredible. They showed what it meant to make all six members of a band earn their keep, and being crowded to one side of the large stage added to the charm of their set. The two male vocalists split duties between songs, although all three singers were present for backups and harmonies. There was a chunk of the set that consisted of three new songs in a row which were all fantastic, including a slow one about "grandfather's charms," and they played the majority of the tracks from their self-titled album. The female vocalist was dealing with some feedback and was a little hesitant at the microphone, but by the end she found her groove and let it belt for Rivers and Roads. Much foot-stomping was in order on my end, and the band got the crowd into party mode.
The rowdy concert-goers showed a lot of excitement for Iron & Wine's simple entrance. A full eleven people took the stage, and after a brief introduction by Sam Beam they kicked things off with a live version of Rabbit Will Run. Now, I know "live version" seems silly in a concert review, but every single song from the Iron & Wine set was a version different from the album (including new songs--Walking Far From Home consisted of Beam with an acoustic and the full band behind him, but without the electronic heaviness of the album cut). The horn section was on the clock from start to finish, with the saxophone leading plenty of songs, which was to be expected after hearing Kiss Each Other Clean. However, we probably didn't hear more than half that album (Tree by the River was one, thankfully) and the other selections were drawn from far and wide, which was exciting. Tunes like
Weary Memory and Evening on the Ground (Lilith's Song) were unexpected and intriguing; my favorite of the night might have been House by the Sea. Every few songs, Beam would "check back in" with the crowd, which was necessary after the looping and extended selections. And apparently the female half of The Swell Season was part of the backup duo, which I didn't find out until a couple days after the show. Anyway, it was disappointing that Beam didn't do a solo set mid-show, and I thought for sure we would hear at least one or the other of Upward Over the Mountain and The Trapeze Swinger. There was only one encore song, and a puzzling one at that (He Lays in the Reins), but I suppose their show was meant to be more about creating one particular sound and atmosphere, which they certainly did, instead of trying to please everyone in the crowd. It was a treat to see Iron & Wine, but I told my friends I would have easily paid the full ticket price just for The Head and The Heart, and I still stand behind that. I think Sam Beam would be fine with knowing that he was competing for the audience's affection with a group so full of talent and energy.