Being a first time visitor to The Athenaeum Theatre, it was on entry point that I got the feeling tonight was going to be something special. For a Friday night concert, a seated venue seemed like a strange choice. However, as it turned out, this performance was one of those rare moments where an artist and a venue mold perfectly together to create one stellar event.
The crowd all waited anxiously and gathered in their seats looking at the empty stage, filled with many more instruments than I was expecting. Finally the Iron man Sam Beam greeted the audience and commenced the show in a fine folk style. After a hard week’s work, Beam’s soothing vocals were the perfect cure to any work-related ailments.
With vocal stylings similar to Damien Rice or Fionn Regan, the Iron and Wine show could have been a success with just Beam and the back-up vocalist. After two songs, however, the rest of the instrumentalists then came out. It was clear this was not going to be a standard acoustic folk jam, but more of a barnyard musical jamboree.
The backing band allowed Beam to change his pace and playing style, mixing up the dynamic of the evening. The show had plenty of range, with moments where the band were building to rock out, to times where Beam’s guitar work showed hints of Nick Drake – with a little more of an uplifted sound. It will be interesting to see if the band shows a different approach in their show at The Corner Hotel later this week.
Throughout the set the crowd was very much suited to the seated setting, absorbing each song and giving them the true respect they deserve. The audience was so quiet at moments, and fully focused towards the stage, that even the sound of rustling bottles received recognition from the band.
Beam’s stage presence showed his charming and grounded personality, and of course the beard helps support it. While still showing signs of professionalism, he removed any aura of pretension. An example of this was when the request from the crowd of Superman (presumably for his rendition of the flaming lips song Waiting For a Superman ) received a reserved wry response, from Beam, of “Thank you.”
One other area deserving special note was the wonders of the percussionist in the back. I don’t know how big his bag of percussive goodies is, but it must cost a lot to fly. His instruments ranged from those I’ve never seen before, down to a simple wooden box. The precise way in which he would play each item showed the amount of heart and thought put into each song. This was a spectacle of its own. If you see Iron and Wine soon, definitely hang out for the push bells.
For me, this set was not made up of any particular standout features. Rather there was an overriding air of quality, which kept the buzz going through the whole set. At the end of the night, the crowd was left very much satisfied. I think many would have been tempted to go and buy a ticket for the Corner gig. However, with the way the Athenaeum and Iron and Wine complimented each other, it would be hard to top this event. I will choose to let this moment live in memory.
