Show Review: Iron & Wine and Roman Candle

Last weekend I returned to lovely Grantham, PA to see Iron & Wine at Messiah's main campus.

Roman Candle, the opening act for the evening, was an impressive Americana/rock'n'roll act playing with the kind of swagger that reminds me why some people (occasionally including myself) listen to country music. Catchy hooks and consummate musicianship combined with well-crafted and thought-provoking songwriting rewarded those in the audience who were initially drawn in by the band's excellent showmanship and confident stage presence. "Why Modern Radio Is A-OK" was the standout song of the evening-at least for my friends and I-with its ironically anthemic take on the quality and lyrical content differences between pop classics and contemporary tunes. You can find the mp3 for free here, but I strongly encourage you to support this band with your hard-earned ca$h, whether by attending a show or purchasing music. Their approach to the internet age is also admirable, maintaining an actual website rather than a myspace page and providing their music for the price of your choice.

Sam Beam (Iron & Wine's one and only member) began his return visit to Messiah College with his cover of The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights" (made famous by its inclusion on Zach Braff's handpicked indie-tastic Garden State soundtrack). His amazing ability to command a crowd's attention fascinated me throughout the evening as his phenomenal voice and nimble fingers filled the room with sound. Though he made the occasional mistake, his unflappability and witty banter maintained an air of casual professionalism rare in the solo performer. Whether it was his liberated approach to Christianity or the fact that he'd been at Messiah previously, his playing-at-a-Christian-college jokes were the best I've heard in my 3 years of Messiah concert-going, including light-hearted jabs at SAB advisor Jeff Rioux, commenting on the exception to the strong language policy granted for "Trapeze Singer", and joking about being "caught" smoking. After a fascinating set, he obliged the audience's request for an encore with a rendition of "Jezebel" that drove home my growing impression that his vocals sound better live, without the processing applied on his many albums. Consider an evening with Iron & Wine a night well spent.

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*I realize of course that this is a video from his previous visit to Messiah, but the goal was to provide a glimpse of the live experience with high-quality audio to indicate the difference in his vocal.