Friday
Oct 28, 2005
SGN.org
Volume 33
Issue 43
 |
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2008
05:03
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| - - |
|
 |
 |
Iron and Wine and Calexico fill the Moore to capacity |
|
 |
|
| Iron and Wine and Calexico fill the Moore to capacity | |
| By Lorelei Quenzer
- SGN A&E Writer
Iron and Wine/Calexico Saturday, October 22nd, 8:00 pm The Moore Theater A sold-out crowd overflowed the Moores main floor, trying to get up close and personal with Iron and Wines Samuel Beam and the boys from Calexico. The show which hadnt been advertised as general admission but turned out to be a seating free-for-all was an eclectic mix of acoustic melodies, ethereal harmonies and rocking rhythms. Except for their collaboration with Iron and Wine on their new EP In the Reins, I wasnt at all familiar with the Tucson-based Calexico when I arrived Saturday night. Their eclectic mix of instruments had me so bowled over I immediately went out and bought two of their albums (which I am happily listening to as I write). Singer-guitarist Joey Burns has a sweet voice, and songs like Not Even Stevie Nicks, Alone Again Or and Crystal Frontier were downright contagious. They left the stage after a mere half-hour, but I knew theyd be back to perform with Iron and Wine. After an enthusiastic performance by Dave Bazan (Pedro the Lion), Beam took to the stage solo, performing Sunset Soon Forgotten from Our Endless Numbered Days. He followed it with Muddy Hymnal, a full-band version of Jezebel, and one of my favorites, Free Until they Cut Me Down. Beam didnt introduce his band mates (silly me, Im supposed to know all!), but his sister Sarah joined him to harmonize on most of the vocals. Other tunes included Naked As We Came and the remarkable The Trapeze Swinger. There wasnt a sour note all evening. After nine songs, Burns returned to the stage and joined Beam for Freedom Hangs Like Heaven. Then the rest of Calexico came back, and the combined group did songs from their EP, In the Reins. Man, Ill bet they sold a lot of albums to converts that night. Burns took time out to comment on how lucky we in Seattle are to have a venue (the Moore) that sounds so good; apparently they didnt have the same acoustics at their Portland event the night before. After playing six of the seven songs from the album they were called back for an encore (Willie Nelsons You Were Always On My Mind, and while it was the sweetest version Ive heard, I was happy to leave after that brief country foray). My two gripes with the show are that (1) the mosh pit that developed in front of the stage whether because there were no seats to be found or because people wanted to feel Burns or Beam sweat on them forced the first seven rows to stand and eventually took over the aisles; and (2) none of the performers shared the titles of the songs theyd performed. I guess that just means Ill have to buy all of their albums. As with other shows this tour, the headliners invited locals to perform on stage; for the Seattle show Bazan and Pink Mountain Tops were the lucky two selected to join in. As Bazan said, he got this call yesterday, asking if I knew about this sold-out show at the Moore? He gleefully accepted. He performed between Calexico and Iron and Wine, and at least fifty folks left their seats to stand in front of the stage during his short set of four songs. His last-minute addition was a welcome diversion. Pink Mountain Tops, also known as Stephen McBean (from the Canadian band Jerk With a Bomb), had the opening slot, taking to the stage at 7:40 pm. Unfortunately, he went on stage before the shows scheduled start time (of 8:00) , so he didnt have a very focused audience. His solo guitar certainly went with the evenings acoustic theme, but his vocals were hard to listen to as they seemed off key and his strumming sound was monotonous. He received polite applause, but I was relieved to see him off. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
International Readers |
 |
 click here and make a difference |
 |
 Theatre Off Jackson & Vixen Productions Present A Pulp Vixens |
 |
 |
 |
 |
copyright Seattle Gay News - DigitalTeamWorks 2005