Gapers Block has ceased publication.

Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
 Thank you for your readership and contributions. 

TODAY

Friday, March 29

Gapers Block
Search

Gapers Block on Facebook Gapers Block on Flickr Gapers Block on Twitter The Gapers Block Tumblr


Transmission
« Lullabies and Loud Noises @ Schubas, 1/31 Pulling Strings: For classical music in Chicago, you got a guy - February 2014 »

Concert Mon Feb 03 2014

Hugs and Love from Iron & Wine's Sam Beam @ Old Town School

By Amanda Koellner

Sam Beam Iron & Wine 2.jpg
Sam Beam (photos by Joshua Mellin)

About three quarters of the way through Sam Beam's set at the Old Town School of Folk Saturday night, a woman in the crowd yelled, "Can I hug you?" "I've been giving you spiritual hugs all evening," Beam replied matter-of-factly. Such was the tone of the singer's Saturday night show, a benefit concert for the school, during which he largely played whatever the small audience requested with only the help of his acoustic guitar, squeezing our spirits on a cold Chicago evening.

The Haden Triplets.jpg
The Haden Triplets (photos by Joshua Mellin)

Third Man Records artists The Haden Triplets opened the night with a handful of striped-down country tunes that sounded completely Coen Brothers approved, as if they could have been heard during an opening set for O Brother, Where Art Thou?'s Soggy Bottom Boys or at The Gaslight on the same night as Llewyn Davis. Although the sisters have been in music for a couple of decades (they're the daughters of revered jazz bassist Charlie Haden), they only recently united as a band. Rife with talent, the charming act's set featured covers like The Carters' "Single Girl, Married Girl" and Webb Pierce's "Slowly". When they gushed about the immense sound quality in Maurer Hall, violinist and most prominent of the singing sisters, Petra, said, "I can hear my heartbeat," appropriately capturing the Lincoln Square venue's crystal-clear acoustics.

Sam Beam Iron & Wine 4.jpg
Sam Beam (photos by Joshua Mellin)

When Beam took the stage around five minutes before 8pm for his first of two performances that night, he immediately asked what we wanted to hear, fashioning an intimate tone — the perfect compliment to his September performance at the Chicago Theater, which found him accompanied by a large band and backup singers. He kicked things off with his cover of New Order's "Love Vigilantes", presumably heard in the collection of hollers, per Beam's request that we request.

As the floor remained open for our opinions on the setlist, two attendees battled it out for their chance to hear "Lead Into the Light" and "Jezebel", with the latter proving victorious. "I don't know what I'm playing," Beam said, with a self-deprecating set of giggles, honored by the fact that folk school would host him. "I played at Berklee recently," he shared, laughing even more, as he also did when expressing his gratitude for our acceptance of poor grammar in the form of "You and I" before breaking into the breezy track ("You and Me" would, for the record, be the appropriate phrasing). A cover of "Freebird" also affirmed Beam' playful side (a joke he quite likes, as he pulled the same stunt at his Chicago Theater show), getting as far as "Cause there's too many places I've lived to see" before abandoning the operation.

Sam Beam Iron & Wine 3.jpg
Sam Beam (photos by Joshua Mellin)

When a married couple, six-and-a-half years in, requested he play their wedding song, Beam eventually obliged, gifting them with "Passing Afternoon", and a wish that the betrothed experience six-and-a-half more years of happiness. Classics ("The Trapeze Swinger"), newer tracks ("Grace For Saints and Ramblers"), songs Beam dubbed largely unknown ("A Stranger Lied Beside Me"--which he called "weird, yet fun"), and the lack of a fourth wall between the singer-songwriter and his audience (making love blessings, such as the aforementioned, possible) all concerted into a near-perfect evening.

Poster-IronandWine.jpg

As guests gathered their coats and custom-made posters everyone in attendance was given (a beautiful piece by local artist Diana Sudyka), Beam returned to the stage for an encore comprised of, "God Made the "Automobile", rounding out the spiritual hug of a set before getting ready to do it all again in the name of music education.

 
GB store
GB store

Feature Thu Dec 31 2015

Our Final Transmission Days

By The Gapers Block Transmission Staff

Transmission staffers share their most cherished memories and moments while writing for Gapers Block.

Read this feature »

Blogroll

  Chicago Music Media

Alarm Magazine
BackStage
Big Rock Candy Mountain
Boxx Magazine
Brooklyn Vegan Chicago
Can You See The Sunset From The Southside
Chicago Reader Music
Chicagoist Arts & Events
ChicagoMusic.org
Chicago Music Guide
Chicago Singles Club
CHIRP
Country Music Chicago
Cream Team
Dark Jive
Daytrotter
The Deli Chicago
Jim DeRogatis
Do312
Fake Shore Drive
Gowhere Hip Hop
Gridface
The Hood Internet
Innerview
Jaded in Chicago
Largehearted Boy
Little White Earbuds
Live Fix Blog
Live Music Blog
Loud Loop Press
Oh My Rockness
Pop 'stache
Pitchfork
Pop Matters
Resident Advisor
Songs:Illinois
Sound Opinions
Sun-Times Music Blog
Theft Liable to Prosecution
Tribune Music
UR Chicago
Victim Of Time
WFMU's Beware of the Blog
Windy City Rock

  Venues:

Abbey Pub
Andy's Jazz Club
Aragon Ballroom
Auditorium Theatre
Beat Kitchen
B.L.U.E.S
Bottom Lounge
Buddy Guy's Legends
The Burlington
California Clipper
Concord Music Hall
Congress Theater
Constellation
Cubby Bear
Double Door
Elbo Room
Empty Bottle
FitzGerald's
Green Mill
The Hideout
Honky Tonk BBQ
House of Blues
Kingston Mines
Lincoln Hall
Logan Square Auditorium
Martyrs'
Mayne Stage
Metro
The Mutiny
Old Town School of Folk Music
Park West
The Promontory
Red Line Tap
Reggie's Rock Club & Music Joint
The Riviera
Rosa's
Schubas
Thalia Hall
The Shrine
Smartbar
Subterranean
Symphony Center
Tonic Room
Township
Uncommon Ground
The Vic
The Whistler

  Labels, Promoters
  & Shops:

Alligator Records
Atavistic
Beverly Records
Bloodshot Records
Dave's Records
Delmark Records
Drag City
Dusty Groove
Flameshovel Records
Groove Distribution
He Who Corrupts
Hozac
Jam Productions
Jazz Record Mart
Kranky Records
Laurie's Planet of Sound
Minty Fresh
Numero Group
mP Shows
Permanent Records
Reckless Records
Smog Veil Records
Southport & Northport Records
Thick Records
Thrill Jockey Records Touch & Go/Quarterstick Records
Victory Records

GB store

Events

Featured Series














 

Transmission on Flickr

Join the Transmission Flickr Pool.


About Transmission

Transmission is the music section of Gapers Block. It aims to highlight Chicago music in its many varied forms, as well as cover touring acts performing in the city. More...
Please see our submission guidelines.

Editor: Sarah Brooks, sarah@gapersblock.com
Transmission staff inbox: transmission@gapersblock.com

Archives

 

Transmission Flickr Pool
 Subscribe in a reader.

GB store

GB Store

GB Buttons $1.50

GB T-Shirt $12

I ✶ Chi T-Shirts $15