Live Review: Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros, Mt Warning

MT WARNING opened with an excessive amount of Ed Sharpe's instruments laying idle at the top of stage. Mikey Bee's vocals hit the mark with devastating intensity and an infectious energy shared by the band and the early birds up the front. Playing tracks from the freshly dropped Midnight Set album the boys showed their songwriting prowess transfers to a cohesive live act. They rounded out the set nicely with triple j favourite Forward Miles.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros looked more like a southern softball team than a band, as all ten touring members crowded the stage. The loudest initial applause was saved for frontman Alex Ebert, dressed in impeccable hillbilly chic.

The set was refreshingly spontaneous. Ebert instantly shook hands with the front row and asked what song they should play, as he did before every song, because setlists are boring. Man On Fire was suggested and by the second verse Ebert was in the front row. He was happy to step back from the spotlight and let others shine; the ever-smiling Jade Castrinos is straight-up adorable and vocally superb, Christopher 'Crash' Richard fronted the band in his overalls for a song and was an instant injection of fun. Christian Letts sang a track and other members chimed in for a verse here and there. Each time was more surprising than the last – that many of them shouldn't be able to sing that well, it's just not fair.

The lyrics for Home were changed a little, and during that Castrinos-Ebert breakdown Ebert called story time. Castrinos let on that she was looking for her childhood friend Kaitlin Doe while in Sydney before the microphone was handed to the crowd who told heartwarming stories of Edward Sharpe changing their lives for the better. Despite these shining moments the unquestionable star of the night was Ebert.

MT WARNING said it best on their Facebook page after the show: “This guy works the crowd part snake charmer part reverend.” Anyone heading to Bluesfest must make this band a priority.