Iron & Wine's Sam Beam played a sold-out Monday show in Portland that paired his soft, fingerpicked songs with a backdrop of hanging objects that gave the performance unexpected depth. The reviewer found the audience attentive and the set, which leaned on the newer Hen's Teeth and Light Verse, notably restless in its choices.
A quiet crowd and a playful frontman
The reviewer describes a crowd that listened closely rather than shouting or crowd-surfing, which suited Beam's style of breathy falsetto and intricate guitar work. Beam himself kept the mood light, playfully telling the audience to "shut the fuck up" as he sipped tea from a stool beside him. Heckles were few and mostly good-natured.
A backdrop that changed the room
The main visual element was a row of long banners with objects suspended on strings in front of them, including leaves, birdhouses, fishing lures and cutout silhouettes. As the objects moved, they cast shifting shadows across the band. The reviewer says the effect added drama without feeling excessive, and that the red backdrop complemented Beam's dark beard and burgundy suit.
A setlist that moved across eras
The show drew on songs from early lo-fi material such as "Jesus the Mexican Boy" and "Faded From the Winter," along with newer numbers including "Call It Dreaming" and "Glad Man Singing." Several songs were stretched out, including "Dates & Dead People" and "On Your Wings," which the reviewer says gave the band room to breathe. The set omitted several well-known songs, but the reviewer judged the substitutions to be just as rewarding.