Iron & Wine blends past and present at Wolf Trap performance

Sam Beam has never treated his songs as fixed artifacts.

Sharing the stage with I'm With Her at Wolf Trap, his ever-evolving approach to performance was on full display as Iron & Wine took the stage with a full band—drums, upright bass, two string players, and keys—and reshaped familiar songs with fresh arrangements and subtle flourishes.

Touring in support of his 2024 album Light Verse, Beam kept the set dynamic and varied. No two shows on the Robin’s Egg Tour have been the same, and that spirit of fluidity was apparent in everything from the variable setlist to the shifting instrumental textures throughout the night.

The setlist for the evening was a thoughtfully curated journey through Sam Beam’s expansive career, spanning nearly all of his albums. It included newer tracks from Light Verse alongside fan favorites like “Tree by the River” but also reached back over 20 years to classics like “Call It Dreaming” from Our Endless Numbered Days (2004). This broad selection not only showcased the evolution of Iron & Wine’s sound but also highlighted Beam’s ability to seamlessly connect his earliest work with his most recent compositions, creating a cohesive narrative that engaged both longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Beam’s personality shone through between songs, “You guys gotta get this A/C fixed, man… DOGE and all that...” he joked early in the set, drawing laughs from the crowd packed into the open-air amphitheater.

“Singers and the Endless Song” captured the room with a quiet intensity, opening with Sam Beam’s voice alone before the rest of the band gradually layered in rhythmic and melodic elements that felt both deliberate and fresh. This balance between subtle evolution and emotional depth was a thread pulled through the entire performance, showcasing Beam’s skill in reinterpreting his songs without sacrificing their original spirit.

“Carousel” opened with an intricate conversation between Abby Swidler on violin and Beam on guitar, each instrument responding thoughtfully to the other with precision and warmth.

Immediately following, the encore played out like a trick. Beam returned alone for one song, then brought I’m With Her back onstage for an extended collaborative finale, including the tour’s namesake track “Robin’s Egg.” Beam noted, “It’s my favorite part of the show—I get to bring my buddies back out,” and you could tell he meant it.

The performance was a testament that Iron & Wine’s power lies in subtlety. Beam doesn’t rely on spectacle. Instead, he offers a kind of musical hospitality—introspective, unhurried, and quietly disarming. The result was a warm (okay, maybe a little sweltering) welcome back to summer shows at Wolf Trap—one you’re glad you showed up for.

Setlist

• On Your Wings

• Resurrection Fern

• Anyone's Game

• The Night Descending

• Call It Dreaming

• Tears That Don't Matter

• Fever Dream

• Sweet Talk

• Jezebel

• Tree by the River

• Singers and the Endless Song

• Carousel
  

Encore:

• God Made the Automobile
  

Finale (with I'm With Her):

• Robin's Egg

• Right Back to It (Waxahatchee cover)

• Overland

• All in Good Time

• Call My Name

• Flightless Bird, American Mouth