Just a random vent. I absolutely adore Iron and Wine, but I saw Mr. Beam perform live a few weeks back in Minneapolis and I thought the show was horrid. There was next to zero interaction with the audience, he made all of his old classic acoustic songs into electric messes with random 5 minute trippy guitar solos, and the encore was one very short and obscure song. I know he's a fairly outspoken and eccentric fellow, but come on man... act like you enjoy playing your music.

Has anyone else seen them live recently and had a similar experience?

oh wow.. how unfortunate :-/
i'm a pretty big iron and wine fan myself

I know, right? He was the last on my very short list of people I needed to see live, so it was a real letdown. I mean maybe he just doesn't much like performing on stage, which is fine, but then don't make me pay $30 to stand in a hot room of writhing hippies to watch you mumble inaudibly into the mic and violate your music with violent electronic thrusts.