After a heart-warming opening set from English folkie John Smith, Sam Beam & co. arrive on stage to the kind of rapturous ovation normally reserved for more seasoned acts.
South Carolina’s celebrated troubadour mixes some old with a set heavily weighted towards the new, but nobody’s complaining.
The recently released Ghost On Ghost offers compelling proof of his considerable talents; a suite of songs that bear his trademark intimate storytelling, sonically enhanced by a large supporting cast.
Newbie ‘Grace For Saints & Ramblers’ showcases the band’s virtuosic abilities in all their glory, the uplifting chorus line, ‘All came down to you and I’, soaring above layers of strings and frantic bursts of brass.
Not one for overblown histrionics, Beam strides silently about the stage, admiring his group’s impressive musicianship. They sound particularly stunning on ‘Low Light Buddy Of Mine’, which sounds like Pink Floyd given the funked-up treatment. ‘Lean Into The Light’ from 2011’s Kiss Each Other Clean, washes over the audience with its warm, ‘50s doo-wop organ and harmonised vocals, while the prog-folk of ‘Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me’ has a rich wall-of-sound texture.
The band’s eventual departure is marked by continuous clapping and excited yelping until Beam re-emerges alone to serenade the masses one final time. Singing in a high register and plucking his acoustic guitar, Beam delivers a goosebump-inducing rendition of ‘Flightless Bird, American Mouth’ from The Shepherd’s Dog album, also famed for its inclusion on the Twilight soundtrack.
With a “Thanks so much, safe home” he departs for the final time. Overall, a powerful performance.