Folk bands first time in Florida

At their first ever performance in Florida on Saturday, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros not only played magnificently, but also managed to attract a diverse crowd, varying from young to old, from hippies to hipsters and from edgy to punk rock.

The band played their show at The Ritz in Ybor City along with fellow folk band He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister. Both bands displayed passion and energy along with astonishing crowd interaction.

He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister is an unsigned folk band from Los Angeles that boasts four members: Satya Bhabha, Rachel Kolar, Robert Kolar and Lauren Brown. The band took the stage around 9 p.m. instigating a great crowd response with listeners clapping along to songs and banging on their own tambourines.

The main act, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, filled the stage with its unusually large, 16-member ensemble. However, the person most recognizable was frontman Alex Ebert, who had a great stage presence and communicated with the audience throughout the show.

The band opened with one of their more popular songs, “40 Day Dream.” As soon as the song began the crowd went wild, singing along and jumping up and down. The most popular song of the night was their hit single, “Home,” to which the entire audience sang in unison and danced.

Throughout the night, the band fostered audience participation and even allowed fans to join them onstage. Ebert heightened the excitement when he jumped into the crowd and continued singing from a spot on the audience floor. After the band’s set was over, closing with the song “Om Nashi Me,” they were called on for an encore, in which they played, “Come Dance with Me” and “Brother.”

Overall, the show was filled with energy, passion and great audience interaction. Ebert’s tonality was amazing and seemed ripped straight from their albums. His singing style and body language clearly expressed his passion for the music, a passion that easily extended to the eager fans in attendance.