Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Sam Beam, better known by the stage name Iron & Wine, made a long overdue visit to the Capital Region Sunday night, bringing the “Back to Basics Tour” to a mostly sold out Swyer Theatre crowd at The Egg. Delivering a masterful set of original music while simultaneously putting on a clinic of “cool”, the thought provoking and soul-searching show was the kind of thing every fan of modern folk music dreams of. Straddling the line, but always finding the balance between intensely personal pain and lighthearted laughter, the stripped-down performance was nothing short of mesmerizing.
The evening began with a brief opening set from female singer/songwriter Hannah Cohen who was marvelous in her own right. Quickly making mention of how nice and clean the venue was, for whatever reason, it made her want to be dirty and curse out loud. “Fuckitdy fuck fuck fuck,” she blurted out, breaking the ice as the audience doubled over in laughter. After playing her first song, she told the crowd “This is not working for me, you guys are just way too quiet. You always hope for an attentive audience, but what do you do when you actually get one?” she pondered. Her beautiful and delicate voice juxtaposed with her raw sense of humor, foul language and a “tongue in cheek” invitation to pass one of her smelly shoes around for the room for anyone who wants a whiff all made for a memorable opening act for an artist worth keeping an eye on.
After a brief intermission and the customary dimming of the lights five minute prior to showtime, just a stool, a glass of water and a rack full of Taylor acoustic guitars set the stage for the evening’s headliner. No flashy lights, no fog machines, no video projections. Just a soft-spoken man named Sam and his signature “Rick Rubin-like” beard. Taking the stage to a hearty applause, Iron & Wine surveyed the audience while tuning up, asking where everyone was from and essentially letting them know it was ok to let their hair down a bit and interact. “They say I’m a folk singer, which isn’t exactly true. But I don’t give a shit, if it fits, it fits.”
After a bit of noodling on the nylon, Iron & Wine opened the set with some heavy subject matter in the form of “Sodom South Georgia,” likely in acknowledgment that it was a Sunday evening during the coldest month of winter. The well-mannered crowd hanging on every word in total silence from the get-go, then unanimously erupting in approval upon the song’s final note, an ovation so loud even Sam seemed surprised. “Oh, it’s gonna be that kind of night. Ok Albany, I see you. As a performer, you have no idea how strong that kind of applause makes us feel,” Beam said. “But no matter how many times I’ve played this next one, all the clapping in the world won’t stop me from messing up.”
Alone and vulnerable on darkened stage Sam did screw up, even stopping mid song at one point and telling us there were just so many chords to remember. “I probably should have practiced.” Charming in his honesty, it’s part of what makes Iron & Wine so endearing and relatable to both new fans and old. “It’s ok Sam, we still love you!” shouted a female voice near the front. “Thanks for coming, Mom” Beam immediately responded with razor-sharp wit. “I’m so glad you could make it out tonight.” A joke that had everyone laughing and one he’d play up for the remainder of the show. Beam’s personality always showing through, despite a set made of mostly melancholy material. “Now I don’t know about you,” he joked, “but when I think about uplifting feel good albums, ones you can throw on at the gym, I think we know who’s right at the top. These little rooms are fun though, yeah? For some people.”
Some call it talking blues (talking blues)
Some call it bitter truth
Some call it getting even in a songI can’t read it, didn’t mean it
As you would rage how I was wrong
Life is too short, and you’d stay too long
Let’s be honest, we were strongest till I let you drag me down
I was sorry then, I’m not nowYou’d better love yourself, ’cause I tried
-Bitter Truth
“What a weird job. You can say bullshit and people will clap. It’s amazing, you guys should try it. Just go to your job and like totally fuck up everything that you try to do, curse, and see what happens. You never know, you might be rewarded like me? It’s fucking crazy.” And with that confession, came perhaps the standout song of the night and also the biggest hit in the brilliant Iron & Wine catalog; a hauntingly unique, vocal only rendition of “Flightless Bird, American Mouth.” Prominently featured in Hollywood’s ultra-successful Twilight saga, the song currently has over 162 million streams on Spotify alone. Claiming vampires have long been a great muse for songwriters, he is very aware of just how pretentious some people view his music. “It’s pretty crazy to write these songs and put them out. You don’t know who it lands on. Sometimes it lands pretty hard though and you have no idea. I just want to say ‘thanks.’”
All tallied up, Iron & Wine played a total of 16 songs spanning across 10 albums. Fans were also treated to an as-of-yet unreleased song called “Why Hate Winter.” Other notable highlights included “Grace for Saints and Ramblers,” Each Coming Night, ”Autumn Town Leaves,” “Call it Dreaming,” and the set closing “Waitin’ for a Superman.”
The story the setlist doesn’t show, however, is what the audience brought to the table. While it may have been a one man show mostly consisting of slow and sad songs, the crowd was fully invested and lively the entire night. A mutual back-and-forth- feeding of energy through off the cuff banter, a little beatboxing, and lots of mutual laughter, this was the variable that truly made the show something special. Combined with a carefully crafted setlist chosen specifically for Albany, you won’t get this same show the next time, or in the next city. While Beam’s playing wasn’t aways perfect, he’s a perfect example of personality going a long way and that it’s somehow possible to turn sorrow into success. A special kind of artist capable of changing the way you think and how you feel. I dare say anyone who was at Swyer Theatre on Sunday night left The Egg as a different, more complete person.
Up next for Iron & Wine, a few weeks of rest before returning to the road for the remainder of the Back-to-Basics tour. After that, Beam will join up with his ultra-talented buddy Andrew Bird for the recently announced Outside Problems Tour. The co-headlining jaunt is set to bring the two acclaimed artists to more than 25 cities later this summer, including stops at both Pier 17 in New York as well as Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard in LaFayette, New York. The smart money says you’re not going to want to sleep on this one.
Iron & Wine / February 27, 2022 / Swyer Theatre at The Egg, Albany, NY
Setlist: Sodom South Georgia, Follow the Water, Lion’s Mane, Bitter Truth, Lover’s Revolution, Each Coming Night, Flightless Bird, American Mouth, Autumn town Leaves, Woman King, Resurrection Fern, Rabbit Will Run, Grace for Saints and Ramblers, Why Hate Winter, Call It Dreaming, Waitin’ for a Superman.
Encore: Cinder and Smoke
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