Have you ever seen the movie Wanderlust where a broke New York couple, played by Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd, end up living on a commune with no bathroom doors? One of the main characters is Seth, a crazed, downward dog-doing sociopath performed skillfully by Justin Theroux.
Last night at Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' SunFest concert in West Palm Beach, watching frontman Alex Ebert with his loose fitting clothing and mussed up hair, jumping around stage, barking at the band, it seemed like -- if only in looks -- Seth was a fictionalized version of Ebert.
The show was amazing, every single band member got their moment in the spotlight, and we're certain the Sharpe singer is a lovely fellow, but there were a few things that happened onstage that brought Theroux's character to mind.
See also
- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' Vibe Is, "Whatever Feels Best Wins Out"
- PHOTOS: SunFest, Day One with Smashing Pumpkins and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
At one point, the 10-million-piece band was jamming to a new song about bouncing balls and getting high, and Ebert insisted they stop the "ambiance shit" so that the audience could hear the lyrics. Awkward! About 75% of the band is "ambiance shit!" This is a crew that you gotta blame for all the funky-folk-rock-roots stuff that's saturated the radio and every suburban dinner party for the past 6 months -- like Mumford and Sons and the Lumineers. One dude was designated a tambourine the size of a car tire, and another guy was just there to play the chimes.
But the best moment was when Ebert disappeared into the audience for a very long time. Like we're talking the full-length of one of their songs long time. We couldn't help but wonder: What the hell was Ebert doing in the crowd for that long? Here are five things we believe happened out there.
5. He Was Peeing
Sometimes, you just gotta go, and nothing is going to stop you. It's possible Ebert took a quick jaunt to the John mid-set. No one wanted to see him pull a Fergie, except maybe a few disgruntled band members.
4. Puffing on a Huge Doobie
If there was something more prevalent than white folk out there by the bay, it was the smell of sweet, sticky herb. Perhaps, he was drawn, as if to cherry pie on the windowsill, to the aromatic deliciousness of burnin' doobies in the crowd, and just needed a puff, puff.
3. Finding Himself in the Music
Perhaps he not only sucked down some smoke, but also found himself in the musical moment. Ebert did some incredibly admirable dorky-dancing onstage. Like the kind that is so geeky that it's actually cool. This guy probably makes taking a leak in a crowd at a concert look hip.
2. Braiding the Hair of Girls in the Audience
Besides rain boots, ponchos, and floral skirts, the biggest style statement of the Edward Sharpe crowd was braids. Old ladies in braids, tweens in braids, babies in braids. It was like BraidFest 2013. Perhaps Ebert decided it was time to actively contribute to this modest trend.
1. Offering Advice Through the Mystical Art of the Tarot
OK, so this is pretty farfetched, but he definitely had time to perform two or three readings. Ebert does have a magical, cult-leader quality about him, something that says: I can do it all, and I know it all. If we'd been up there at his fortune-telling table, definitely, his word would have ruled our futures.
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