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Iron & Wine, Calexico partner for indie 'Waltz'
10/19/2005 7:40 PM, Reuters
Craig Rosen
Calexico's co-headlining
and collaborative sets with Iron & Wine on Tuesday night at the
Wiltern looked and felt like the indie-rock version of "The
Last Waltz," complete with a few surprise guests and an
ever-changing lineup of musicians.
Although it might be overstating things to compare the
Tucson, Ariz.-based sextet to the Band, and Iron & Wine's Sam
Beam to Bob Dylan, in the indie-rock world both acts are headed
for such heights. That explains how these two
below-the-mainstream-radar acts can sell out the Wiltern to a
fervent crowd willing to let the musicians follow their muse.
Calexico quietly has been making records since 1996 for the
indie Quarterstick label, while Iron & Wine -- essentially
singer-songwriter Beam -- was discovered by influential indie
Sub Pop Records in 2002 and since has released a pair of
acclaimed albums and EPs.
The two acts joined forces this year on "In the Reins," an
album filled with new Beam-penned tunes, performed by the
singer-songwriter backed by Calexico and released by the tiny
Overcoat Recordings. Such full-project collaborations in the
rock world are rare these days; even more extraordinary is that
both acts have committed to taking it on the road.
On Tuesday, Calexico singer-guitarist Joey Burns seemed
just as content in the role as ringmaster as he was as a
frontman, humbly allowing Calexico to serve as the backing band
for Iron & Wine after each act played its own set. The
configuration brought out the best in both acts and revealed
that Beam in particular can rock in a way that his recordings
only hint at.
On a stage adorned with Christmas lights and a screen
projecting sepia-toned images of the Old West, Calexico's
35-minute set was highlighted by its cover of Love's "Alone
Again Or," complete with trumpets, and the original "All
Systems Red," in which Burns switched from acoustic to electric
guitar midsong. Later in the set, Burns brought out an old
friend, L.A. punk stalwart Mike Watt, who laid down a
smoldering groove.
After a brief intermission, Beam -- bearded and sporting a
sweater and jeans -- took the stage, singing and accompanying
himself on an acoustic guitar. He's a kindred spirit to the
late Elliott Smith and Nick Drake, making moody folk-pop that's
the perfect soundtrack for rainy days. As the set wore on,
Beam's own support musicians and the members of Calexico took
the stage until the number of players and backup singers
swelled to 10.
While the sheer musicality of the big-band performances was
impressive, Beam's solo shot on the chilling "Naked as We Came"
received one of the evening's most enthusiastic responses.
Later, with the stage filled with musicians, the troupe
performed a Southwestern-flavored take on the Velvet
Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties," complete with
pedal-steel guitar and trumpets. Another indie legend, Victoria
Williams, joined on covers of Willie Nelson's "Always on My
Mind" and the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses." Williams'
appearance highlighted the evening's underlying theme of
musical collaboration.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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