The success Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros has achieved proves more can be merrier, but a live performance is the only way to fully grasp the symphony the 10-plus members orchestrate.
Every note of Wednesday night’s performance at Mahalia Jackson Theater rang in harmony, resonating from piano, guitars, drums, horns, banjos, ukuleles, whistles and whatever other instruments were crammed on the stage.
Beneath beaming red lights and a massive lantern-globe, the group opened the show from a saturated stage with “Man On Fire,” the first single from sophomore album, “Here.”
As the performance progressed through a 20-track set list, the stage transitioned through the rainbow of color the band has adopted in its logo, merchandise, website and the “Here” album cover.
The colors suited the mood of each song, with “Man On Fire” played in a red glow, “Let’s Get High” washed in green and closing song “Om Nashi Me” changing hues in a rave of light.
Lead singer Alex Ebert — dressed in an unexpectedly-whole pair of kakis and a mostly-unbuttoned-down —leaned into the crowd, walked through aisles, danced, jiggled and spun in a fit of energy that spanned the whole performance.
A dedicated crowd filled most of the theater’s seats, but the unusual venue caused some confusion for the rowdy, folk-loving crowd. Mobs of fans periodically filled the aisles, only to be chased away by theater security. On their feet through the first few songs, some took to their seats for slower melodies, but others stayed standing.
Highlights include an energetic performance of “40 Day Dream,” Ebert’s goosebump-inducing “Truth” and Nora Kirkpatrick’s violin skills.
- Man on Fire
- 40 Day Dream
- I Don’t Wanna Pray
- That’s What’s Up
- Dear Believer
- Janglin
- Fiya Wata
- Carries On
- Up From below
- Let’s Get High
- Truth
- Child
- Mayla
- Black Water
- Jade’s Song
- Feel You
- Something Ebert called “that fiddle jam”
- If You Wanna
- Home
- Om Nashi Me
