It's been seven years since indie-folk pioneers, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros played at The Independent. Yes, they've played in and around SF since then: May 2012 may have been the last time that the Bay Area saw the un-canny chemistry vocalist Jade sparked on stage with Alex Young when Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros headlined at The Fox Theater in Oakland.
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| Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ The Independent 4/11/2016 photo by Marc Fong |
When America's Cup was here in 2013 they played at the edge of the bay, literally, at the America's Cup Pavillon that September and two years ago was probably the first time SF fans saw them perform without Jade when they headlined at the SF Oyster Festival before her devastating departure was officially announced.
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| Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ The Independent 4/11/2016 photo by Marc Fong |
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero returned to The Independent Monday April 11th, four days before the release of release of their 4th studio album (the first album without Jade), PersonA. And I must say, what a great place to see them play. Seeing them at Coachella would be a blast and the best outdoor venue in the Bay Area on June 11th at The Greek Theater in Berkeley will make for an awesome show but those shows won't compare to an intimate show at The Independent.
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| Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ The Independent 4/11/2016 photo by Marc Fong |
Fans trickled into the sold-out show slowly but the place was pretty packed by the time the un-disclosed opening act started. Bandmates Crash and Christian greeted the crowd before introducing the "openers" that night; a collection of local musicians a la open mic.
With only one person lined up prior to the show, they asked if anyone else wanted to preform and spots for a chance to open for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros filled up quick! Sharing the same guitar five local acts, six artists total, hit the stage and they were all really good!
The second open mic performer did a soulful, heartfelt cover of Peter Gabriel's "Red Rain" and aside from her rendition, everyone sang and played original songs. Even Crash was blow away by how good they all were saying that it was probably the best open mic of the tour yet! They did SF good and all of them even fit the indie-folk genre more or less! I go to a lot of shows and no band I've seen, big or small, has ever done anything like this. It was a really neat way for the band to genuinely connect with and truly celebrate their fans, the ones who performed as well as the ones who did not.
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| Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ The Independent 4/11/2016 photo by Marc Fong |
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| Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ The Independent 4/11/2016 photo by Marc Fong |
It was the first time I'd seen Alex Ebert wear shoes at one of his shows when he and his gaggle of musicians hit the stage around 9:30. In a loose kaki trench-coat, messy man-bun and a flower-crown turned bracelet the lengthy lead singer's air was a comfortable one. You could feel the instant down to earth vibe they emitted as they got things going with the third song on PersonA, "Somewhere".
As Crash had mentioned before their set, they were playing PersonA in it's entirety but not in any particular order which is an interesting way to go about playing an album in full. I counted six people when they hit the stage, including multiple guitarists, a bassist. Like a hootenanny of sorts, the number of people on stage and the instrument that were played changed with every song played: additions of a corent horn, chimes and even some synths at times kept things fun. It was pleasantly engaging to watch how well all of them moved and grooved with and around each other on the small stage as fans fed off the band's free spirited energy. There was definitely an equal exchange of uplifting enjoyment throughout their set. The eclectic singer chatted up the crowd before playing "Free Stuff" because his hey-ho is so popular with band new to his familiar folk-indie genre (Lumineers' "Ho Hey" stood out in my head) and that's what the song was about. They did play PersonA in full and not from start to finish as Crash had said, but the encore included a very well received performance of "Man On Fire."
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| Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ The Independent 4/11/2016 photo by Marc Fong |
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| Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ The Independent 4/11/2016 photo by Marc Fong |
Alex's stage presence was a warm one with continuous interpret dancing all around the stage and heartfelt singing with his eyes closed, he is really the poster boy of a folk-indie hippie. PersonA and their live performance of it proves that this collection of inter-changing musicians has the ability to forge songs as rich lyrically as they are musically and seeing them do it live captivates you to your core.
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| Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ The Independent 4/11/2016 photo by Marc Fong |
There's no denying that there's something missing, a fact they knowledge on the cover of the new album (with a red line crossing-out Edward Sharpe) but just as any and every other good band does over time, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' over-all sound has changed and evolved. They had to morph into a new Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero and I'm sure like minded fans will agree with me when I say I am so happy that they did.
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| Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ The Independent 4/11/2016 photo by Marc Fong |
EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS
SET-LIST 4/11/2016
1. Somewhere
2. Wake Up The Sun
3. Free Stuff
4. Uncomfortable
5. Hot Coals
6. Perfect Time
7. Let It Down
8. No Love Like Yours
9. Lullaby
10. The Ballad of Yaya
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