Review & Video: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ Greek Theatre, 9/7/12
The magical quality of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is that the SoCal folk pop band always seems to be making it up as it goes along. Whether it’s the setlist – frontman Alex Ebert always seems to be asking a band member what should be played next – to his between-song banter, to the created-on-the-spot soloing of individual musicians including the local violinist stand-ins. All were on display Friday night at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. Ebert, vocalist-guitarist Jade Castrinos and their large crew were in midseason form, as was their controlled ramshackle pop show, as they flawlessly [...]
Interview: Edward Sharpe's Nora Kirkpatrick discusses 'Here,' touring, and the album after the new one
A 1,500-foot-long vintage streamlined 1948 California Zephyr train. Two weeks. Three bands with their own unique sounds, riding the rails. Jamming, recording, playing a concert here and there. That was the idea behind the Railroad Revival Tour. Last spring, Los Angeles indie collective Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, London folk group Mumford & Sons and Nashville bluegrass ensemble Old Crow Medicine Show embarked on a trek from Oakland through the Southwest and Texas, before coming to an end in New Orleans. As the members of the three bands mingled, their bonding was recorded for a now-critically lauded documentary, Big [...]
Noise Pop 2010: Edward Sharpe, Watson Twins, AB & the Sea, Northern Key @ Bimbo’s
Photos by: Charlie Homo The closing nights of the last two Noise Pop festivals have focused not only on musical quality, but on the credo of the more outrageous live performance. See: 2009's Les Savy Fav antics at the Mezzanine. For 2010, this meant bringing together the harmonious indie rock collective du jour: Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. The former Ima Robot man (Alex Ebert) and his merry bunch have cultivated a significant following over the past year, not just for the appreciation of the songs on 2009's Up from Below. Although, for my money, "Home" is one of the [...]