Led by Alex Ebert, the slightly realigned folk-rock ensemble stopped Sunday at Meijer Gardens on tour behind a new album that seems to put “Edward Sharpe” in the rear-view mirror. Review, photo gallery.
Leading the Zeros: Frontman Alex Ebert on stage at Meijer Gardens on Sunday. (Photo/Anna Sink)
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The cover of “PersonA,” the new album by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, features the band’s name in large, white font against the darkened image of a face, with a thick red line over “Edward Sharpe and.”
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There’s an easy way to interpret that. Edward Sharpe is, or was, the alter ego of Alex Ebert. He’s said in interviews that Sharpe — a character whose conceptual relationship to Ebert has never been entirely clear — is dead.
Audience-Engaging: Ebert ventured into the crowd during Sunday’s show. (Photo/Anna Sink)
However literally one wants to unpack this, there certainly is a page-turning element to the tour supporting the band’s first album since the departure of Jade Castrinos, known to casual fans as the voice sharing lead duties on the band’s signature song “Home.”
Since Castrinos wasn’t replaced on vocals, the finale of the band’s sold-out Sunday night show at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park teetered on the edge of weird, but landed on poignant.
After doing the “hey, let’s pretend this is an encore break” routine (which in the past couple of years, I have seen nearly as often as actual encore breaks), Ebert led a sing-along during which the crowd of 1,900 was more than willing to handle the “Alabama, Arkansas” lines as the darkness of a warm, windy night had just settled in.
FOLK-ROCK REVIVAL THAT’S JUBILANT, PUZZLING AND UNPREDICTABLE
Projecting a vibe that landed somewhere on the narrow spectrum between big-tent faith healer and cult leader, Ebert carried his nine-member band through a 16-song, nearly 90-minute set of revivalist folk-rock that was jubilant, puzzling and unpredictable in equal portions. The career-spanning show leaned mostly on the familiar (opener “40 Day Dream,” the timeless “Truth,” early jam “Janglin'”) but accommodated standout new cuts such as “Somewhere” and “Free Stuff.”
Gamely following Ebert on whatever fanciful flight he felt like pursuing from song to song were the formidable Zeros, many of whom handled multiple instruments — one member played an accordion and a baritone horn simultaneously — and about half whom were shoeless.
Teetering on the Brink of Weird: The Magnetic Zeros played in front of a sold-out crowd. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Ebert bantered amiably, if circuitously. He stepped aside as other Zeros took turns on lead vocals. He accepted requests from the audience and appeared to adjust the setlist on the fly. He ventured into the audience while his bandmates held down steady grooves.
The word that most often appears in my notes — and, turns out, every review of an Edward Sharpe show ever written — is “ramshackle.” This works better in some settings than others. I saw the band a few years ago in Royal Oak, and that performance produced the sort of life-affirming communal joy that used to occur at Flaming Lips or Polyphonic Spree shows.
Sunday’s set didn’t quite approach that bar. Not bad, just different times, I suppose. The band might still be easing into its new material or tentatively navigating unfamiliar territory after losing a popular member and following a figurative leader that might or might not still exist.
The opening act, Wild Belle, a four-piece band led by siblings Natalie and Eliot Bergman, warmed up the crowd with an engaging blend of reggae, electronic funk and Americana, carried aloft by Natalie’s smoky, passionate vocals. Toward the end of Wild Belle’s 45-minute set, Eliot asked the crowd if they were ready for the Magnetic Zeros.
Tellingly, he did not mention Edward Sharpe.
PHOTO GALLERY: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Photos by Anna Sink
