Concert Review: Iron & Wine Sips On “Woo Juice” At Town Hall NYC
Iron & Wine drank up the “Woo Juice” that splashed across his set at Town Hall NYC. Honestly, even I had to giggle at the constant wooing, of which he laughed at how it only made him stronger. Artists can tell when a crowd loves them and wants to hold on to their songs as if clouds could be held be strings, which, by his set design they were.
Not too many times does a set take me aback, but seeing clouds held by strings and lighting according to Iron & Wine’s arrangements was a beauty I could witness forever. There was something calming to seeing them go from grey to purpler or deep red as he played old and new songs from his latest album, Beast Epic . Having such an imaginative but simple set helped his voice soar through songs such as, “The Trapeze Singer”, “Lover’s Revolution”, “Call It Dreaming” and “Jezebel”, of which he humorously flubbed some words. Yet, I found it a miracle he could remember so much poetry. Iron & Wine comes from The School of Bob Dylan; where no verse can go without, at least, 20 million symbols and metaphors, and to make a simply chorded melody sounds like a snooze. Yet, it is his penchant for complexity that attracted the crowd of couples eager to lay their heads on their lover’s shoulders, and unpack his songs like they were sonic novels being rhythmically tossed into the air. Every track carried characters, plots, and themes, of which their mystical allusions anchored into your reality. I could just picture Iron & Wine flying through a sky, and bouncing through clouds to retrieve memories and poignant assessments of life. Frankly, his music is pretty deep compared to how light-hearted he is.
Iron & Wine, or rather Sam Beam, is just a complete, coquettish charm. Even now I chuckle at the gazillion times he said, “Wow, you guys are good looking”. He was a genuine flirt, who could play the guitar as if it was born for romance, which, again, only furthered how much his voice can soar and fill a room like oxygen. All he had to do was sing one lyric, and the NYC crowd was cheering louder than any time someone say, “It’s Mueller Time!”. Add on the elaborate instrumentals and heavenly harmonies, and I could not help but wonder if a spirit could ACTUALLY be elevated from a concert seat. For More Information On Iron & Wine Click Here.
