Wow, can't wait to see this band at Pitchfork, if they ever make it there.

Iron and Wine 5/13/09

I feel like Iron and Wine fans fall into two categories: those that prefer his earlier solo work, and those who prefer him more fleshed out with a full band. I definitely fall into the former; something about the quiet, hushed folk is just much more up my alley. Last year's Shepherd Dog just really didn't do it for me; I ultimately found it kinda boring, and it left me missing the intimacy of his early work. So after only seeing him with a full band at Pitchfork and on tour with Calexico, I was thrilled to see that Sam Beam was doing a solo tour, with fans voting on the set list. Here was my chance to hear songs from Creek Drank the Cradle, and in the intimacy of Schubas no less.

Having seen Iron and Wine at venues as large as Union Park and Congress Theater, I guess I didn't realize how incredibly personable Sam Beam truly is; I always assumed he was a shy, awkward one. Dressed in his best professor wear (collared shirt, vest and righteous beard), Sam was talkative, funny and easygoing, and it truly felt like "an evening with Sam Beam." My goal for the night was to hear "Lion's Mane" or "Faded from the Winter", and Sam treated me to the first, which was, without a doubt, the highlight of the night for me. As Sam put it, "Chicago really likes that green album", and many of the songs came from Endless Numbered Days. The only thing I could have done without was the audience sing-a-long during "Such Great Heights." There is nothing worse than hearing an audience singing louder than the performer.

Fan-voted setlist below. Head to playedlastnight.com for an mp3 copy of the evening's performance.

01. Intro
02. Each Coming Night
03. Cinders and Smoke
04. Flightless Bird, American Mouth
05. Lion's Mane
06. No Moon
07. Peng
08. Passing Afternoon
09. Free Until They Cut Me Down
10. Two Hungry Blackbirds
11. Sunset Soon Forgotten
12. Bird Stealing Bread
13. History of Lovers
14. Fever Dream
15. Stolen Houses
16. Mouth of the River
17. The Trapeze Swinger
18. Such Great Heights (Postal Service)

Sick!

Sorry for the lack of blogging over the past few days- I was on vacation in Boston and then came back in time to get a stomach flu! But I did see Iron and Wine at Schubas and Animal Collective at the House of Blues in Boston during that time, so once I'm feeling better I'll have full reports of each.

Cocker

Jarvis Cocker, with the help of his kids, has a hilarious take on the latest singles.

Radio Show Hiatus

Over the past few summers I've taken a break from the radio show to enjoy the sunshine on Monday evenings and recharge. This year, I've realized I need more than a summer to recharge; after 8+ years in college/community radio, it's become clear that I don't have the time I used to have to dedicate to a quality 2-hour show each week (part of this crazy thing called "getting older"). With the upcoming move downtown and management changes (all for the better, of course), it seemed like a good time to step back from the show for a bit. I plan on staying involved through the occasional subbing opportunity, but will take an indefinite break from the regular schedule. Still, I look forward to seeing how WLUW can grow and flourish in its new environment, and will hopefully return when I can make time to commit to the station again.

That said, I will continue on blogging, and I have some new, exciting music-related activities on the docket that I will report on as they come to fruition (oooh, suspense!). Thanks for listening!

That's a Dealbreaker Ladies

Two albums I've been enjoying of late come from a couple of emerging female artists: Bat for Lashes Two Suns and Marissa Nadler's Little Hells. Both have a darker edge that I'm loving, with Bat for Lashes offering a bigger, more theatrical sound to counter Marissa's subtler, folkier tunes. With St. Vincent's recent critical acclaim for Actor, 2009 is shaping up to be a good year for female musicians.

Best of thoughts. . . already!

It was just brought to my attention that come next year, 2010, we will officially be entering the next decade. Which means, not only will we be contending with "best albums of the year" lists this December, but also "best albums of the decade" lists. My head hurts just thinking about it! Tinymixtapes will be putting together one of its own, and apparently I need to start thinking now about what I'd include on it. What a terrifying prospect, especially considering how much my musical tastes have changed since 2000, and how little time I'll really spend with 2009's music. Yikes!

Dodos on TV

Indie-rock-in-commercials-watch: Just heard the Dodos' "Fools" on an ad for . . . Miller Chill. How quickly they rise.

Speaking of the Dodos, they had a show scheduled at Subterranean for July 25, but subsequently canceled for undetermined reasons. Sad.

Flight

Man, it's already Friday and I just realized I haven't blogged since Monday! Time is flying.

Amidst my busy week I was able to fit in a trip to the Arie Crown Theater to see Flight of the Conchords. Gapers Block reviews it here. Highlights for me: the show beginning with Jemaine and Bret coming out in cardboard robot heads singing my favorite season 2 song, "Too Many Dicks"; telling a catcaller in the audience he was "high on bong"; being joined by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (a.k.a., a guy on a cello).

Surprisingly no "Business Time", though.

Meanwhile, the Trib didn't seem too enthused. I think they're thinking about it a little too much.

Not a huge fan of the Arie Crown though. Strange how McCormick Place is really not that accessible by public transportation (just one bus from downtown), for such a huge destination. And it felt like watching a show in the stadium version of a theater, as opposed to a real theater like the Chicago Theatre or Civic Opera House.