I overheard a security guard say, "Wow, are the Muppets about to go on stage?" before Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' set. He wasn't completely wrong about that. Colorful instruments and an ensemble of campy outfits adorned the stage before the band went on to perform a disappointingly short set.
Granted, it was not the band;s fault. It seemed the venue was not prepared for the amount of instruments and soundchecking the band needed to do, and it looked as if the band got on stage just in time to perform. Sadly, the sound was not right, and the band only got to perform five songs, and almost didn't get to close with "Home," which I'm sure would've left the crowd a bit sore.
Behind the sound issues and time constraint, I did see why people consider the act to be such a great one. Alexander Ebert and crew exchanged adorable smiles, the harmonies oozed cuteness, and the band poured their hearts out. It's also worth noting that the crowd goes absolutely ballistic when Ebert steps one foot into the audience. Everyone scrambled to touch this larger than life figure, and for them, the sound issues didn't matter at all.
