October 18, 2005 - The Wiltern LG, Los Angeles, Ca

    If I had a dollar for every reason to hate floor tickets at the Wiltern, I could afford mezzanine tickets at the Wiltern and would no longer have to complain. However, every now and then, the higher forces intervene and one finds that magical spot behind the third tier in the middle of the floor, where the sound is pristine and the crowd is not too pushy. Apparently on the night of October 18, 2005, the stars aligned appropriately for my friends and me as we eagerly awaited Calexico, the opener for the night’s festivities. As we joyfully staked our claim in that coveted territory, a fabulously mood-setting light show began as the band sauntered onto the stage.
    Calexico is a rarity among their genre, as they genuinely pull off their Tex/Mex look and feel by authenticating it with their rich sound. As images of wild horses and various other images evoked southwestern sentiments among the crowd, they performed their alt-country repertoire casually and confidently. The most enjoyable aspect of the band was, without question, the charming and adept horn section; the Mexican trumpets stole the show effortlessly. With a joyful and appreciative smile, lead singer Joey Burns thanked the audience, promised to return soon, and left us eagerly awaiting Sam Beam.
    Iron & Wine is another special anomaly in pop culture right now, as far as I am concerned. Sam Beam’s earnest lyrics, whisper-soft vocals, sensually deliberate guitar work, and sparkling songwriting make watching him in action truly a site to see. Though he occasionally comes across as too breathy and tinny on the recordings, the clarity of his voice is stark and touching live, and at this particular show he was complimented by none other than his sister, a demure redhead with whom Joey Burns of Calexico would later flirt as they returned to the stage. They ran through a series of touchingly acoustic renditions of “Sodom, South Georgia”, “Naked As We Came”, and other favorites off ‘Our Endless Numbered Days’ and his other works. He saved most of the tracks off his ‘Woman King EP’ for later, when Calexico returned to the stage, and those proved to be far and away the most touching original moments of the night.
    I say original as there was one cover performed that night by the entire cast of characters that shook me to the core. Towards the end of the show, they began the opening bars of The Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses,” and the crowd cooed in appreciation. It would prove to be the richest, most honest and heartfelt cover of that song that I have EVER heard in my life (this coming from the girl who has nine different versions of the song, excluding the original, in her personal collection). It was a profound moment in indie rock and roll, we decided later, as it felt as though we were watching The Band perform, as their friendships between one another and their very personal awareness of their talent and the greater good that they were working toward were so poignant. “Freedom Hangs From Heaven” and “Jezebel”, both off ‘Woman King’, were also gems that night.
    We left the Wiltern that night thankful, more than anything. Iron & Wine and Calexico put on a show that few could have replicated throughout history. There is something very special about that Sam Beam, and as I listen to ‘In the Rains,’ the Iron & Wine and Calexico collaborative EP once again, I am filled with a gratefulness that is so rare following a Wiltern show. I suppose I have the stars to thank for that.

-Christina Gubala