Edward Sharpe/Magnetic Zeros | 08.06
By Team JamBase Aug 19, 2009 • 5:30 pm PDT

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros :: 08.06.09 :: World Cafe Live :: Philadelphia, PA
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It must have been something about a late-summer full moon because I’d been feeling downright crazy for a whole week leading up to this show. This sleeper performance arrived on Philly’s doorstep the day the full moon broke and something in me snapped as I chugged beer, laughed and danced like a maniac to Edward Sharpe. The opening band, Sean Bones, was no slouch either and had made noticeable improvements since their first show in Brooklyn three months earlier. Now that’s not a slam in any way because they were good from day one, they’ve just been getting better with each passing moon. In fact their new album, Rings, is a must listen. Sean Bones, the solo project of Sean Sullivan a.k.a. the guitarist of Sam Champion, ripped through a fast set of dance hall meets ska-rock grooves. Even with all of Sullivan’s powerful rock steady sounds and energy, the crowd wouldn’t budge from their seats.
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The L.A.-based Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros had just hit my eastern radar thanks to the heavy airplay of “40 Day Dream” by WXPN | 88.5 FM and the recent release of their first album, Up From Below. It wasn’t until Ebert stepped off the stage and started to clap along with a full band backing him that the music that I had merely enjoyed finally clicked. My freakout light bulb has been glowing brightly ever since. Ebert strolled into the tables defying the invisible line that seemingly held the crowd back and huddled in their seats. He called us out, stating that this show was not one for the chaired mass in front of him. His presence is in a similar vein of the Crowes’ Chris Robinson, but he has unique warmth in his songs that can only be fueled by a new lease on life.
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Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros’ soothing sounds of Jefferson Airplane meets Sunset Rubdown soaked up the sun burned rays of the west, carried them across the land and just exploded on Philadelphia. The experience of seeing them live is a whole other animal, and while the cliché of music being a religious experience is hard to step away from, the show truly was a holy revival in all manners. The night, the venue, the band – it all lined up as we witnessed the mastery of audience and band infusion. As Ebert sung “Carries On” in the center of a circle of onlookers, the crowd stayed glued to his words with a growing excitement. As the band uncorked touches of melody and beats on a range of instruments – including accordion, guitar, bass, a hand-held keyboard, piano and drums – it was hard to stop listening and even harder to not sing-along. They created music that was just so damn uplifting you swayed and moved and even started to hum and sing before you even knew what you were doing.
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So, what really makes this revivalist freak show work so well? For one thing, Ebert is the quintessential frontman – a lightning rod that doesn’t make you question your choices for enjoying the band. Midway through the performance he stripped off his shirt saying he was more comfortable naked. His lanky body sported a giant green “Zero” and as he danced his gangly hair, all bunched up in a beehive of crazy on his head, bounced to his movements. As he channeled his childhood alter ego, Edward Sharpe, we were gifted with an amazing version of “Up From Below” that played out like an epic musical. Its endless amounts of ebb and flow carried on the piano and xylophone and then strung along with bass, guitar and Muppet Show–like trumpet blasts. Castrinos frequently rolled back her eyes and lurched into spasms on the stage floor as the holy blasts of the trumpet called down the angels of rhythm.
It’s hard to imagine that I spent only 50 minutes with the band because when they finished it felt like a lifetime. This was an existence that I was not yet ready to leave and wanted to be reborn into over and over again. And I wasn’t the only one, as the crowd packed in tight to congratulate Ebert and the rest of the band. The experience left me quivering like a lost child, but filled me once again with the passion to drop everything and follow a group to their next performance. It’s a great sign that only a few days later the band announced it was extending its U.S. tour dates by a month. So, if you get the chance to see them GO and be prepared to push away your chairs, shed your skin and drink in Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros’ Flavor-Aid!
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Continue reading for more pics of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros in Philly…
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Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros tour dates available here.
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