Photojournalist: Kiera
Iron & Wine brought his dreamy indie magic to Chicago’s Thalia Hall for two beautiful nights.
I attended night two of his packed shows and was so grateful to experience his music live. Fans flooded Thalia Hall with warmth, excitement, and enough “WOO’s” to keep singer Samuel Beam beaming (or in his words, “feeling strong inside”). Every mention of the crowd's energy encouraged even more excitement that bounced off the walls of the open theater.
Surrounded by a four-piece ensemble, Beam opened the show drenched in rich lighting beneath an eclectic and charming smattering of metal carvings hanging from the ceiling. The mobile-like display had a tactfully random assortment of shapes—birds, rabbits, feathers, and legs—decorating the air, which set the tone for the quintet’s captivating and warming performance.
photos by Kiera
Iron & Wine asked the crowd playfully who was there attending for a second night in a row, to which several cheers responded from the barricade. (What are we calling Iron & Wine fans? Ironheads? Winers? My internet research could not confirm.) Beam’s gentle voice commanded the audience’s attention with ease despite their excitement as he drifted through old and new fan favorites, even previewing new music for a grateful crowd. Couples snuggled up while friends danced sillily and sincerely in the back. His especially-beautiful renditions of “Why Hate the Winter” and “All In Good Time” were like lullabies to a softly swaying crowd. Listeners were entranced, and the venue was quiet enough to hear a pin drop (not ideal with the building’s creaking older floors, but those still were not enough to distract from Beam’s performance).
Beam shared towards the start of his performance that night two of his two Chicago run would be slightly different to night one. Knowing that each performance carries its own unique charms and rhythms, there is great value in attending the shows live to experience the magic and serenity of an Iron & Wine performance. Beam and crew are on tour through the end of May and will continue their tour along the western coast with select Midwestern and Eastern seaboard dates in October 2026. Iron & Wine’s newest project, Hen’s Teeth, can be found on Apple Music while you eagerly wait for your tour date to arrive.
photos by Kiera
Discussion