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PORTLAND — Attention recent initiates to the following Iron and Wine has rightfully earned — Sam Beam is not the brand name of an imaginary beer-whiskey hybrid.
Sam Beam is the bearded musical genius behind the recording name Iron and Wine, who made his way to the State Theatre in Portland on Monday night along with folk quartet, The Low Anthem.
Those familiar with Iron and Wine will know that it’s challenging to place the band in a specific genre. What they might not realize is that in person, Sam Beam is as charming as the ’70s-infused, often acoustic, sometimes synthesized indie-folk blends he so masterfully creates.
It’s not a perfect show without a crowd-pleaser, and Iron and Wine played along in kind by opening with the catchy “Boy With a Coin.”
Beam commanded attention, flanked by 11 other people who contributed to the show’s diverse sound with electric and acoustic guitars, clarinet, baritone sax, trumpet electric, didgeridoo and more.
It seemed nearly impossible for the set to get any better after flawless tracks ranging from recent “Song of the Shepherd’s Dog” to the fairly older “Love and Some Verses,” but Beam returned to the stage sans band following a surging cry for encore to perform “Flightless Bird, American Mouth.”
This was Iron and Wine as it is meant to be heard — unplugged, unchanged pure talent, straight from the golden chords to eager ears.
The dapper suit he wore set him in a profile identical to the one on his most recent album, “Kiss Each Other Clean,” a more modern departure from his usual work, released in January. Any serious demeanor he may have projected was broken instantly by his quick smile.
Between songs, Beam made lighthearted conversation as if he’d accidentally stumbled into someone’s living room.
“How many of you guys ate a lobster for dinner?” Beam joked, inspiring laughter, cheering and a healthy dose of awkward silence as his accompanying instrumentalists were the only people to raise their hands.
To an excited fan who screamed, “I love you, Sam Beam!” he sheepishly replied, “I didn’t know my mom was coming to the show.”
Emerging artists The Low Anthem walked onto the stage with an air of unassuming cool, dressed in hippie chic and held their instruments casually at their sides. As the stage lights dimmed and a red haze shrouded their figures, the haunting voice of singer Jocie Adams began to echo throughout the space. In an instant, the mellow tone for the show was set, simultaneously calming and exciting the attendees.
Nearing the end of their set, The Low Anthem’s Ben Knox Miller asked that everyone take out their phones and call someone they came to the show with. He said it would create the most beautiful sound, and as “This God Damn House” came to an end before a sea of upraised digital screens — it was clear he was right. This band demands to be seen live, as they carry a stage presence musically equivalent to chamomile tea.
Audience members might as well have been tranquilized at the door. A palpable calm could be felt from start to finish, as some people swayed to the soft sounds and others stood still, breathing in each soul-stirring word. Everyone was in love, at least for the night, united by the power of truly good music.
The concert-goers were as eclectic as the bands themselves, ranging from flannel-clad teenagers to middle-aged couples to a gentleman whose beard rivaled Beam’s own.
As much as a good show is about the music and the fans, it is about the venue. Iron and Wine and The Low Anthem couldn’t have found a better home for their enchanting tunes.
Despite the recently reopened State Theatre’s impressive renovations to its acoustics quality, sound system and lighting, a vintage feel is ever present in the slightly peeling wallpaper and original fixtures.
“So this is a Monday night in Maine, huh?”
Beam posed the question half-mockingly toward the start of his set. Though it’s “cold as s—” (Beam’s turn of phrase) in Maine, Mainers proved that they know quality music when they hear it by filling the State Theatre — and what a Monday night it was.
