Iron and Wine at Cat's Cradle
Sam Beam tuning f 4.5 @ 1/13
A damn good show Wednesday and a lot more to the music than I knew about. Someone at Third Place mentioned tonight that she thought the show was $17 because their cover of the Postal Service's "Such Great Heights" was featured on the Garden State soundtrack. Perhaps. But I feel like I underpaid for the show we got. I'm glad I bought the ticket on something of a whim. Sam Beam seems so relaxed about playing. The arrangements are so very pretty. Several songs, particularly from Woman King had two percussionists, not overpowering but focused and intense.
Beam seemed very genuinely grateful for the packed-house crowd, even apologizing before the show began because he was getting over a cold. The time between sets was generally quiet, with just a little banter between sam and the crowd, Beam occassionally sipping tea from a large paper cup balanced on a folding chair.
"You guys are so well behaved," he said, laughing softly.
The band played a good hour and half, then an encore of two songs, then a second encore, something I've seen only once or twice, the last time being Eliot Fisk, when he played the greatest guitar song ever [1]. Sam's technique is a marvel to watch and the songs are nice tumbling things into slightly dark places.
There were great versions of:
- "Evening on the Ground (Lilith's Song)"
- "Freedom Hangs like Heaven"
- "Woman King"
- "Free Until They Cut Me Down"
- "Naked as We Came", a definite crowd favorite
There are additional photos.
- No, not "Stairway"