Iron and Wine, Calexico, Salvador Duran Live Concert Review
Dec. 9th at The Docks in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The only disappointing aspect of this marathon of music is that I didn't wear better shoes. I don't mean better in terms of trying to fit into the latest trends sporting the 2000 plus audience of mostly twenty-somethings. I means shoes that would keep me stable for the over four hour concert, cemented within easy distance not wanting to miss a beat. I think I could have checked my coat as well, so only two disappointments among a tremendous evening of shifting musicians and their stirring soundscapes.
The show was divided into four parts, each one featuring one of the four artist collaborations in this order: Calexico, Salvador Duran (solo), Iron & Wine and then a final hour with the entire cast and crew it seemed. The tour and concert centered around their lasted CD collaborative effort "In the Reins" which features Iron & Wine with Calexico as well as help by Salvador Duran.
Calexico started the evening as people seemed to still be lumbering in, and they themselves seemed to take a few songs to warm up to the crowd, or maybe it was the sub zero Toronto night striking their Arizona skin. Before long they are comfortable as if they were playing a barrio in their home town or a birthday in their back yard. Still, Calexico proper was still a mild warm-up for what was to come.
My guess is that very few listeners could understand Salvador Duran's collection of Spanish songs, but they understood that this was one talented musician, deep into his Popengo style (Not Flamenco as one might assume). Besides his strong tenor voice and percussive Spanish guitar, Salvador was like a one man band. Some songs he played harmonica, some he would stomp his boots on his standing box, some he would make donkey squeals and clip clop percussion with his mouth or spaghetti western whistling introductions. There were times when it seem he was doing them all at once, creating a tumbling collection of melody and clatter. After each song the audience erupted into cheers returned with a mature graciousness by this silver haired troubadour. His passionate lines transcended the cultural and language barrier (Do we even have Mexicans in Canada?) and seemed to reach into each heart pulling them a little closer south of the border of our southern border.
I walked into this concert at "the Docks" in Toronto not knowing what to expect. My familiarity was with Calexico and the new collaborative album, and not with Iron & Wine's folksy Sam Beam. So, I assumed (in self centered fashion) that most others were also coming to see Calexico (who happened to be there with Iron & Wine). As Sam Bean, sister and band took the stage for the third official set it was very clear that these people were here to see Iron & Wine, who happened to be touring with Calexico. The audience almost tripled in size after Salvador finished, pushed us about eight feet closer to the stage and seemed to hang silently on every line of the whispery, bearded poet. Iron & Wine's set started almost as understated as the people themselves with Sam Beam and sister Sarah harmonizing over accordion squeezes by Calexico front man Joey Burns.
About 12pm the full band configuration took the stage their shuffling into positions did not prepare me for the wall of sound they would create. I counted 17 musicians, playing their title track "In the Reins," their instruments in perfect cue and place like a southwestern orchestra. Trumpets, guitars (slide, bass, electrics and acoustics), vibraphones, multiple vocals, two drums sets, various percussion including Salvador on mouth pops and clicks. If technology ever grows from 5.1 surround sound to 17.1, it might represent what we heard that night, but until then it is one experience where you just had to be there. Truly a wall of sound, each part with their own voice and line to play. Quickly they shifted into their grooviest song of the CD, "Red Dust." And passed from one song to another, drifting through their complete seven song collaborative EP.
Even though the hour was late, and most of our feet had taken enough, we clapped for one more song and they returned to the stage with their final song, "Prison on Route 41." It talks much of family and reminded me of the entire experience that night watch the various band configurations during the night. Like brothers and sisters, cousins and fathers of different families, they would join in varying lineups as the sets unfolded. Changing instruments for many of these talented artists seemed effortless. This was mostly due to the versatility of the Calexico band members. One Musician shifting from trumpet, to vibraphones, to accordion within a few songs. They seemed to be like one big musical extended family tree, waiting side stage in smiling support, stepping in happily to provide background rhythmic clapping or sing lead vocals. It appeared not to matter which role they played, as long as someone was playing the music they loved. And this made me love them and the music even more. And it actually made me love music even more, which is exactly what a good concert will encourage you to do.
