Justine and I just got back from Iron & Wine at Hope College. I didn’t take any pictures (as is my standard practice), but I remember most of what happened. I will lay out the highlights and an abbreviated set list.
1. It was just Sam with no backing members or any other instruments other than one acoustic guitar.
2. He was humorous and spoke with a noticeable southern accent.
3. The first song he played was ‘Sodom, South Georgia,’ my favorite song.
4. He sang ‘Flightless Bird, American Mouth’ a cappella for the first 2 minutes of the song.
5. The show was 1100 people jammed into a church. I thought it would be weird, but it was actually quite cozy and the sound was excellent.
6. ‘Boy With a Coin’ became a rambling, Oooohhhhh-filled 8 minute masterpiece with the crowd clapping and singing along.
7. He messed up his fingering at one point during a song and said ‘Hold on,’ stopped, and then started playing right before where he slipped instead of just pretending it didn’t happen. Everyone laughed, but it was pretty cool.
8. After playing his last song, he went off stage until the Hope regulars started banging on the pews until it was almost deafening. He came back onstage and played the full version of ‘The Trapeze Swinger.’ It was the first and only time he said ‘fuck’ during the entire show.
Partial Set List:
Sodom, South Georgia
Woman King
The Sea & The Rhythm
Sunset Soon Forgotten
Resurrection Fern
He Lays In The Reins
Prison On Route 41
Naked as We Came
Upward Over the Mountain
The Trapeze Swinger
Flightless Bird, American Mouth
Love Vigilantes (New Order cover)
Overall, show was amazing. Life changing perhaps. Farewell!
