I've not heard a single second of this guy's stuff, but have read enough about him to know there might be some interest here, so here's a press release I just got at work for your perusal. Enjoy.


Iron and Wine in Concert

Acoustic folk-rock band Iron and Wine performs at Wheaton College 7:30
p.m. Friday, February 15. Iron and Wine originated as a stage and
recording name for the talents of singer-songwriter Sam Beam. Now Beam
is collaborating with a full band, taking his music across the country
and abroad. The band’s sound remains true to Beam’s original lyrics,
voice and guitar playing. The style of music is a mix, and Iron and
Wine’s latest work is steeped in vocal harmony, blues, and West
African inspired music. The group recently appeared as a musical guest
on the Late Show with David Letterman.

The performance takes place in Edman Memorial Chapel, located at
Washington and Franklin streets in Wheaton. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets
are available at the Wheaton College bookstore or through
brownpapertickets.com. General admission tickets are $20 in advance or
$23 at the door. For more information, call the College Union concert
hotline at 630.752.5390.

not Christian at all, no

Yeah, I only asked because of the venue: Wheaton College. A extremely fundamentalist "born again" college. Odd choice, then.

can't see you digging them, but hey, you never know.

Hah. No, this was more an FYI thread for people who might want to check the show out, and because I thought the venue was rather odd.

i mean he's got a couple songs that have biblical references, but he also has a song that references the Garden of Eden, then immediately says "And all your love as we were, We were born to fuck each other"

Alot of my christian friends love this dude.

Maybe it's the stage name that draws them? Seems kinda spiritual I guess.

The material is packed pretty solid with Christian imagery, but is balanced out by the occasional bit of darkness, like solace pointed out. His own spirituality and Christianity seem to pop up in many of the interviews I've read with Beam and he is pretty blunt in his own agnostic beliefs, but doesn't hide his admiration for all the symbolism.

That and the great big bushy beard.

OTM. Nor should he hide his admiration for the symbolism/imagery cause it's awesome (in I+Ws music and in others)

I did a couple recording sessions at Wheaton College, back in the early 90s. They have/had a pretty killer set-up in the basement of that Billy Graham Center, or whatever it was. Obviously they had sunk a lot of money into that studio. Pretty sure that was back before they legalized dancing on campus, though.

He's obviously pretty well versed in theology and that definitly has a minor influence on his lyrics but it's hardly the central theme of his creative output. There's just references here or there spread throughout some of his lyrics.

Even christian college students love their neutered indie rock, and this stuff meets with the approval of the school.

What makes a particular artist/record "neutered" indie rock--is it just a high pitched/soft singing voice? I've always wondered. That would make sense.

Heh, asking the wrong guy. I just like mocking the term. But I guess I've taken it to mean not hard rocking, particularly if you don't like the particular band.

I think it means the singer has long hair, wears tight pants (preferably leather), and sings in a high pitched voice.

As someone who grew up about 5 minutes away from this college.. I gotta say: wtfuck?

I have never known Wheaton college to have anything other than their music school kids or those Jesus chord playing kids who sing about sins and God and shit. Very odd. Very very odd.

Hey I went to Wheaton. One time we had Petra, for fuck's sake.
















okay, I didn't, but I did see that Mad TV skit about God Rock groupies,