I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: February 13, 2026] Iron & Wine

I have wanted to see Iron & Wine for a pretty long time.  But they’ve always been on my “casually” want to see them list.  I knew I liked them (him) whenever I heard them, and I’ve known that Sam Beam has an amazing voice, but I didn’t really know many songs by them.

So it seemed like going to a full on show might be too much?

When this Free at Noon was announced, it seemed like the perfect way to see him.  A 30 minute show in the middle of the day–not a major time commitment, and I could see if I really like him.

And I did!

It was just Sam and his guitar.  He played a few songs from his new album and then a few older songs too.  He chatted a lot, praised us for being so quiet and talked about how much he liked to play Philly.

At one point someone shouted What’s your name, which I thought was pretty odd.  Then I saw the person and saw that he had special needs.  Sam must have seen that too because he asked What’s Your Name.  And then Sam made a joke that people ask if he’s related to Jim Beam.  It was delightful how nice and friendly Sam was to everyone.  He seems like a genuinely nice guy.

One of his new songs has the line “fuck the man” which he sang (on the radio!–I actually wondered if he forgot he was on the radio).  Later on when he played All in Good Time it has the words shit in it, and he stopped himself from singing the word and then said, well, I already said fuck, so he sang shit.

After two of his songs Sweet Talk and Singing Saw he chuckled and said, that’s a weird song.  It was that kind of light hearted Friday afternoon fun.

When the show was over, Mike V asked if we wanted one more, so we received an encore that wasn’t broadcast. I didn’t know it but I think other people did.  I was waiting for the crowd to disperse when a young woman asked if she could have the setlist.  The stage person was about to give it to her but then he walked away with it.  He came back a minute later and Sam has signed it to her.

What a great first experience of Iron & Wine.  I see that he often plays with a full band and I think I’d like to see that…  he’s playing Union Transfer in May…

1. In Your Ocean ∇
2. Sweet Talk ≥
3. Grace Notes ∇
4. The Trapeze Swinger Ω
5. Singing Saw ∇
6. Muddy Hymnal ©
7. Thomas County Law €
8. All in Good Time ≥
   encore
9. Flightless Bird, American Mouth §

∇ Hen’s Teeth (2026)
≥ Light Verse  (2024)
€ Beast Epic (2017)
Ω Around the Well  (2009)
§ The Shepherd’s Dog (2007)
© The Creek Drank the Cradle (2002)