Live Review: Iron and Wine @ People's Court, Des Moines, IA; 6/9/2011

“Okay, for this next song, we are going to take it down a bit and play a song for everyone who came to hear ‘Naked as We Came,” mused Iron and Wine frontman Sam Beam in the middle of his headlining set Thursday night at People’s Court in Des Moines, Iowa. This acutely aware statement characterized the mood of the evening, as Beam and company presented a raucous 90-minute set that had all of the teenage beauty queens expecting the Garden State soundtrack shifting uncomfortably.

Not the same.

Indeed, the most striking aspect of the show was just how much Beam has evolved since Our Endless Numbered Days. Gone was the solo, coffee-shop demeanor; instead, Beam was joined by 10 others on stage: a guitarist, bassist, two percussionists (one of whom was Joe Adamik, better known for his work with experimental group Califone, and who also looks conspicuously like the Macalester College Media Services Director Brian Longley), a keyboard player with three different Korg synthesizers at his disposal, and a sassy horn trio. Beam himself seemed quite comfortable in the spotlight, interacting with the crowd and even responding well when someone yelled, “Your hair is better than George Michael’s!” which, Beam admitted, no one had ever said to him before.

Also not the same

And while this new setup fit nicely with songs off of the newest album Kiss Each Other Clean such as “Me and Lazarus” and “Your Fake Name is Good Enough for Me,” what really shone through were his re-imagined versions of classic Iron and Wine songs, such as “Wolves” (from The Shepherd’s Dog), which evolved into a 10+ minute jam complete with drum machine and one of these things; and “My Lady’s House” (from the Woman King EP), which built to such great heights (sorry) that both drummers were pounding away at their cymbals while the brass section and female vocalists provided Beam a platform from which he could stretch his vocal range.

By the time they were three songs into their set, it was obvious that these musicians were digging into repertoire of the 60’s and 70’s to find inspiration for the live show. Beam seemed to be stretching his legs – in the size of the group, variety of musical influence, and general demeanor, they consciously pulled away from the voice that initially propelled them to fame. Whether this is a permanent change or only one stage of Beam’s musical journey is unknown; I certainly could see him returning to the sound of Our Endless Numbered Days following such an expansion in sound.

Not to be discounted were openers The Head and the Heart, a sextet from Seattle. Compared to the seasoned veterans on stage for Iron and Wine, the median age of this band looked to be around 22. Cast in Spin magazine as a band leading the charge of the “New Americana” movement, they certainly exuded the charm associated with some of the other acts in that list (The Avett Brothers, The Low Anthem), an earnest demeanor that sometimes felt like they were saying, “We are terribly sorry that our amps are this loud.”

But to call this band Americana and leave it there would be a great disservice; instead, their dynamic sound seemed to stem from a generation who grew up listening to equal parts Neil Young and Arcade Fire. Co-frontman Jonathan Russell shoelessly stomped along with the beat, and multi-instrumentalists Charity Rose Thielen and Josiah Johnson added stellar three-part harmonies to round out the band’s sound. I would have liked to hear more of Thielen by herself, however, as she only really let her syrupy voice loose on the final song to the appreciation of the audience. (On a side note, Des Moines shows always seem to have an abundance of bass drum in the mix, something I truly appreciate. I think its because of this guy.)

I spoke with Thielen about coming to the Midwest (it was the band’s first time in Iowa). “The Midwest is such a unique geographical area,” she said. “The culture here – people are friendly pre- and post-show, which I personally love.”
Beam echoed the sentiment during his set. Every time the drunk guy next to me yelled, "You should come back to Iowa!" Beam assured us he would. Judging by how big the crowd was, I think even if a few people were disappointed by his departure from his earlier style, he would find just as big a crowd next time he comes to town.

Setlist:

Boy With a Coin

Me and Lazarus

Summer in Savannah

Walking Far From Home

Wolves (Song of the Shepherd’s Dog)

Lovesong of the Buzzard

Half Moon

Arms of A Thief

Devil Never Sleeps

The Sea and the Rhythm

Your Fake Name is Good Enough For Me

Lion's Mane

On Your Wings

House By the Sea

Love and Some Verses

Lady’s House

Tree By the River

Encore: Rabbit Will Run