Last night was third time I’ve been lucky enough to see Edward Sharpe and the Magnetc Zeros, and the music was as moving as ever.  I’m not entirely sure just what about the performance had changed- but there was definitely something just a little different about last night- maybe even a little off- not that I could say anyone but myself happened to notice.

Seeing as I’ve seen them a few times now I was a little less entranced by the spiritual tracks and a little more likely to notice smaller things- details that add to the charm of the prophetic group.  The background was a simple mural split into four pieces with a serene scene from nature and what looked to be the Emerald City far off in the distance.  Aside from the new set décor everything else was very similar and I was experiencing some severe set déjà vu- the opening song, Alex’s opening onstage stomping, the clothing remained almost identical to last time’s performance, and Jade still looked as lost as ever in her own music.

The crowd is really what changed- most notably for me at least- from their Sunset Junction performance.  It was no longer a flock of people looking to celebrate life, love, and a wayward and oft distracted messianic figure in the form of Ed Sharpe- these were plaid-clad hipsters who had heard about the band by way of word of mouth, looking to see what all the fuss is about.

In true Ed Sharpe spirit the band chose nine no-name openers to serenade us in simple, stripped-down acoustic fashion- spreading the gospel of good music on stage just one or two people at a time.  The open mic night was most definitely different than anything I’d experienced before, and though I can’t say I truly enjoyed EVERY performer, I really appreciated the concept behind the onstage sight.

Though Ed Sharpe for me was lust at first listen and love at second sight- something was a little off vibe-wise last night, and the whole thing wasn’t entirely a charm.  I still listened to them all the way home- on the long journey from Anaheim back to L.A., and it still had me smiling in the midst of 405 madness- and if you asked me if I’d see them again after that I’d say yes in a heartbeat without a second thought, because though some aspects of the set were stagnant I can still remember hearing “Home” live for the very first time and thinking this is exactly why I got into this industry in the first place.  This is why my work is play, and why people are so willing to flock to Alex Ebert for from stage hand jobs.  (Alex Ebert’s stage spawned “hand job”- The act of shaking hands with the lost prophet Edward Sharpe, and sharing the close contact with several lucky audience guests.  The use of protection is strongly encouraged as the outpouring of love is severely contagious and should not be taken lightly.)

The one thing that remained the same was that in a sea of American Apparel wearing, skinny jean rocking hipsters it was not exactly the normal memorabilia that was flying off merch shelves- not CD’s, or Vinyl, or T-shirts- it was tambourines that became the most coveted souvenir of the night- everyone looking to be a zero alongside the band.  Now that is one of my favorite parts of the very magnetic zeros- their understated ability to make everyone feel like a part of something bigger, performance wise.

 

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Sometimes you experience an off night- exactly what I was going through last night at The Grove in Anaheim- but you never stop seeing the Magnetic Zeros’ motive behind the music- a sorely distracting experience of love, life, and the epic pursuit of purpose and truth in an industry often void of actual musical meaning.