Iron & Wine Show Is Magic

Phoenix Concert Theatre

Toronto, ON

on Nov 13 2008

Zack Vitiello (CHARTattack)

11/14/2008 3:54pm

I'm not sure what kind of magic Sam Beam of Iron & Wine is hiding deep in the curly locks of his facial hair, but whatever it is, Toronto fans were lucky enough to get a taste of it at last night's sold-out show.

Beam casually strolled on to the stage with a smile and a wave and began with a charming rendition of "He Lays In The Reins." This was followed by a string of acoustic numbers alongside his sister, Sarah. The siblings delivered breathtaking vocal harmonies that allowed the songs to soar to a new level of emotional depth.

Though the first portion of the set drew heavily from older material, "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" and "Resurrection Fern" off last year's The Shepherd's Dog were particularly moving. A new untitled track was also exceptionally evocative. Yet Beam kept the mood light and, with every sporadic eruption of cheers, he chuckled and nodded with gratitude towards his fans.

Though the Phoenix was packed and even the upstairs balcony was filled to capacity, no one spoke during Beam's performance. Every eye was fixed firmly on the singer and, if you listened closely, you could hear empty beer bottles clinking together at the bar. Combined with Beam's personable delivery (he forgot the words and chords to several songs, laughed it off each time and apologized to the crowd, who couldn't have cared less), the show was one of the most intimate I've ever attended.

After attempting a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird," which was met with such hysterical (and largely out of place) cheering that Beam gave up midway through the second verse, the touring members of Iron & Wine made their way on to the stage.

With a full band present, including an elaborate bongo set-up and a rather large accordion, things began to get interesting. Beam ditched his acoustic guitar in favour of a slick electric one, and his sister added a violin to the mix. The results were astounding.

As Beam dove deeper into material from The Shepherd's Dog, it became clear that the man writes and records songs merely as templates for his shows. The second portion of the set found the band rearranging entire compositions, the songs straying from their album versions and wandering towards something much more exotic. "Boy With A Coin" was fitted with a reggae groove, while "Wolves (Son Of The Shepherd's Dog)" and "House By The Sea" were transformed into brooding, highly haunting tunes.

"Love And Some Verses" and "Cinder And Smoke" from 2004's Our Endless Numbered Days were especially noteworthy. They were unrecognizable aside from the lyrics. While some diehards in the audience may have found this upsetting, the amended versions breathed new life into the songs, imbuing them with a sense of frivolity.

Indeed, the night was marked with an air of lightheartedness. Between Beam's chuckles and the rearranged compositions, there was a constant feeling that the band were having a jolly old time on stage while shooting smiles back and forth as they took the tracks through a winding series of twists and turns.

After ending with an incredible performance of "Sodom, South Georgia," Beam returned to the stage with his sister.

"We weren't going to play this song," he said with a laugh. "But what am I supposed to do? That guy made a sign."

Beam then pointed into the audience, where a man was holding up a white piece of Bristol board with the words "Trapeze Swinger" written on it in large black letters.

The 10-minute acoustic epic was nothing short of heart-wrenching, and a perfect ending to a poignant and personal performance. Let's just hope Beam doesn't shave that mighty beard any time soon. It would be a true shame to lose the magic he displayed at this concert.