Photos by Emma Johnson and Sadie Eichenberger, Words by Emma Johnson
“There are times that walk from you / Like some passing afternoon,” Sam Beam once stated, and in many ways, the time between Iron & Wines August 23rd show at Old Forester’s Paristown Hall and their last visit to Louisville feels just like that lyric – fleeting, almost unnoticed, until the artist’s return brought these memories back to the forefront.
Beam’s previous performance in Louisville took place back in August of 2017, as part of WFPK’s Waterfront Wednesday, where the singer-songwriter played against the backdrop of the Ohio River. For many fans, the nearly seven year gap between shows felt like that “passing afternoon” Beam sang about on his second studio album, but Iron & Wine’s return at Paristown reignited memories of that riverside concert.
Opener Sunny War set the stage for the rest of the night. A Nashville-based singer-songwriter, War leaned more into the folk detailing of her self-proclaimed “folk-punk” style. With bold, striking production coupled with the tender, pensive lyrics of her most recent album “Anarchist Gospel,” War fabricated an evocative show that built a connection between her songs and the deeper, reflective themes explored later by Iron & Wine.
The penultimate show of the “Light Verse” tour’s U.S. leg kicked off with an eerie rendition of “On your Wings” from Beam’s top selling album “Our Endless Numbered Days”. The song, known for its delicate acoustic guitar work and Beam’s hushed vocals, introduced an amplified production which gave new life to the intimate, lo-fi feel of the original recording. The addition of electric guitar and a stronger rhythm section provided a more dynamic arrangement. The fuller instrumental, with richer layers of sound and ambiance, draw you in to the rich possibilities of life written within the song.
A Chicago-based performance collective known as Manual Cinema created a live visual performance to accompany the “Light Verse” tour. Puppeteers performed “live overhead projector shadow puppetry devised and designed by Manual Cinema artists to accompany the band on stage,” according to Manual Cinema’s website.
Beam’s long-standing drummer Elizabeth Goodfellow joined him yet again on the “Light Verse” tour, on both the drums and backing vocals. Iron & Wine newcomers Lauren Elizabeth Baba and Rob Burger also joined Beam during this tour on violin and keys respectively.
While Iron & Wine may be touring the “Light Verse” album, the setlist wasn’t confined to just new material. Beam treated the audience to a mix of older favorites, weaving in songs like “Lion’s Mane” from his first studio album “The Creek Drank the Cradle” and “Boy with a Coin” from his critically acclaimed album “The Shepherd’s Dog.” Songs from “Light Verse” fit seamlessly into the performance, with their reflective, stripped-down sound complementing the familiar warmth of the classics. Notably, “All in Good Time,” his recent collaboration with Grammy award-winning artist Fiona Apple, stood out as a highlight of the night. While Apple was not present, Beam’s soft vocals blended with the haunting acoustic melody extended a moment of quiet intensity towards the crowd.
The well beloved “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” was the closer of the evening. Known to many as the song from Bella and Edward’s wedding in Twilight, the song truly evoked that sense of nostalgia and bittersweet romance that Beam always seems to get right. Iron & Wine’s ability to weave stories of love, loss, and quiet introspection continue to serve as a reminder to Beam’s evolution as an artist, yet his unmistakable sound remains as timeless as ever.
