Iron & Wine, Calexico partner for indie 'Waltz'

10/19/2005 7:40 PM, Reuters
Craig Rosen

Calexico's co-headlining and collaborative sets with Iron & Wine on Tuesday night at the Wiltern looked and felt like the indie-rock version of "The Last Waltz," complete with a few surprise guests and an ever-changing lineup of musicians.

Although it might be overstating things to compare the Tucson, Ariz.-based sextet to the Band, and Iron & Wine's Sam Beam to Bob Dylan, in the indie-rock world both acts are headed for such heights. That explains how these two below-the-mainstream-radar acts can sell out the Wiltern to a fervent crowd willing to let the musicians follow their muse.

Calexico quietly has been making records since 1996 for the indie Quarterstick label, while Iron & Wine -- essentially singer-songwriter Beam -- was discovered by influential indie Sub Pop Records in 2002 and since has released a pair of acclaimed albums and EPs.

The two acts joined forces this year on "In the Reins," an album filled with new Beam-penned tunes, performed by the singer-songwriter backed by Calexico and released by the tiny Overcoat Recordings. Such full-project collaborations in the rock world are rare these days; even more extraordinary is that both acts have committed to taking it on the road.

On Tuesday, Calexico singer-guitarist Joey Burns seemed just as content in the role as ringmaster as he was as a frontman, humbly allowing Calexico to serve as the backing band for Iron & Wine after each act played its own set. The configuration brought out the best in both acts and revealed that Beam in particular can rock in a way that his recordings only hint at.

On a stage adorned with Christmas lights and a screen projecting sepia-toned images of the Old West, Calexico's 35-minute set was highlighted by its cover of Love's "Alone Again Or," complete with trumpets, and the original "All Systems Red," in which Burns switched from acoustic to electric guitar midsong. Later in the set, Burns brought out an old friend, L.A. punk stalwart Mike Watt, who laid down a smoldering groove.

After a brief intermission, Beam -- bearded and sporting a sweater and jeans -- took the stage, singing and accompanying himself on an acoustic guitar. He's a kindred spirit to the late Elliott Smith and Nick Drake, making moody folk-pop that's the perfect soundtrack for rainy days. As the set wore on, Beam's own support musicians and the members of Calexico took the stage until the number of players and backup singers swelled to 10.

While the sheer musicality of the big-band performances was impressive, Beam's solo shot on the chilling "Naked as We Came" received one of the evening's most enthusiastic responses.

Later, with the stage filled with musicians, the troupe performed a Southwestern-flavored take on the Velvet Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties," complete with pedal-steel guitar and trumpets. Another indie legend, Victoria Williams, joined on covers of Willie Nelson's "Always on My Mind" and the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses." Williams' appearance highlighted the evening's underlying theme of musical collaboration.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter