Headlining the Sunday slot at the Clearwater Jazz Holiday this year was Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's. This indie band is comprised of wacky frontman Alex Ebert and a backing band of up to 13 members at times. They're responsible for two of the best concerts I saw in 2013, including a great opening set to Mumford's 'Gentlemen of the Road' St. Augustine Stopover.
After building up a great reputation for live shows last year, the group made an unfortunate decision earlier in 2014. One of the best things about Edward Sharpe is the work of singer and instrumentalist Jade Castrinos. Jade was disappointingly asked to leave the band in the spring, taking away a key piece of the band. The resulting product without Jade produced a somewhat depressing show for the Clearwater crowd.
After opening up with their hit "40 Day Dream," the band seemed confused. Rather than having a concrete setlist, Ebert simply asked the crowd what they wanted to hear next. He would listen to the requests, pick one of the titles out, and ask the rest of the band if they were ok playing it. Now this may sound great (Springsteen displayed a similar technique by picking out songs off signs in his May show) but the the presentation wasn't great. The vibe seemed that the band didn't really care what they were playing, and they just wanted to get through the show.
Over the next two hours, (well over their allotted time limit) the band combined these crowd requests with a few tunes that Ebert suggested on the spot. They did do a good job of playing the most popular songs, but it was nowhere near the energy of the two shows in 2013.
One of the reasons for this was simply the venue. Rather than a uniting general admission crowd like Jannus, the venue of Coachman Park was entirely different. Most of the intense fans were in the GA section, but that was located on the lawn behind multiple VIP sections of seating. The guests in VIP did not seem interested in singing or dancing, even when Ebert himself came into the crowd to dance from chair to chair.
I think the best way to sum up the show was general discomfort. There was no moment more awkward than when the band inevitably had to play their most popular song, "Home." This was a crown jewel of the indie rock scene for years, topping playlists with a catchy chorus and conversational versus between Ebert and Castrinos. The problem with that is it becomes exceptionally difficult to perform live when you take away the female singer. Alex had the crowd try to sing Jade's parts, giving off an unprofessional and cheap feeling. I think the band would be better off just putting their biggest hit on hold until Jade returns to the band.
I have to try to make some positive comments before this review is over. I will admit that the group played most of the songs I was hoping to hear. My essential Edward Sharpe tunes for newbies are "Janglin," "I Don't Wanna Pray," and "Life is Hard." I'll also give credit to the band as a whole, since they did show off to be excellent musicians.
In total though, it was an awkward and disappointing night. Unless Jade returns to the band or Ebert improves on being a sole frontman, I will not be seeing the Zero's on their next tour. These guys have great music, but their live performance this night was lousy. I hate writing negative reviews, but this one is deserved.
Concert Rating: 2 Stars
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