Photos: Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros at Sound in Focus at the Annenberg Space for Photography

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Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros at Sound in Focus (Photo by Samantha Saturday)
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros at Sound in Focus (Photo by Samantha Saturday)

The naughtiest words uttered Saturday night at Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros’ concert in Century City were “hard curfew.”

The show, the first of the three-week, KCRW-curated Sound In Focus series in the park next to the Annenberg Space for Photography, ended at 10 p.m., no negotiations. “Hard curfew, it’s a fact of life sometimes,” said frontman Alex Ebert, who, as the Magnetic Zeros wound down the show by jamming with opening act Imarhan, led the band in a rendition of their hit “Home.” The sound indeed was cut at 10 p.m. sharp, but the massive crowd continued to sing the rest of the song, ending with an unamplified but still beautiful trumpet solo.

The headliners kept things loose all night (were they working from a setlist?), playing songs from their latest album “PersonA,” older ones like “40 Day Dream” and taking requests during the middle of the set for tunes such as “I Don’t Wanna Pray,” “Better Days” and “If I Were Free.” As is his habit, Ebert spent a lot of time at the barrier connecting with the fans up front.

The series continues this Saturday night with Baaba Maal, Classixx and Brazilian Girls. The event was at capacity by about 6:15 p.m. on Saturday night, so early arrival is recommended.

Photos by Samantha Saturday