It's been a long time since I've wanted to blog after coming home from a show, but Beirut tends to have that effect on me. It's no secret that Beirut is one of my favorite bands, and it's really been too long since I had seen them live. When I read that they were playing a special show with box office-only tickets ($10!), I knew what I had to do. I knew that I would be waking up early on a Saturday morning and camping out at the Music Hall of Williamsburg box office in the summer heat.
Like a fangirl, I arrived at the venue when doors were scheduled to open. Things were running a couple minutes behind, and I found myself joining a long line of other eager Beirut fans. Since I arrived so early, there was more waiting to be endured inside, but it was all worth it when the band took the stage. For this performance, Beirut was a 7-ensemble, and I was happy that they didn't shortchange the brass section. I've said this before, but Beirut are experts at romanticizing brass instruments. Move over guitar, because the euphonium is going to be the next big thing. Teenagers all over America are going to form Balkan-folk bands.
The band played an expected set of favorite songs, and I enjoyed revisiting the reasons why I had become a Beirut fan. Beirut is truly a band of talented individual musicians, and it is always incredible to watch them in their element. Zach claimed that he was suffering from allergies and that his voice would crack like a 14-year-old's, but that turned out to be an exaggeration. I wasn't sure if I could be blown away by another Beirut show, but I was pleasantly surprised. As cheesy (or insane) as this sounds, I think I may have experienced a moment of pure bliss during "Nantes." I can't really explain it, but the live music actually made me reevaluate my outlook on life. The beautiful combination of sounds was so moving that I became convinced that true beauty does exist in the world, and it's worth fighting for. Or, I may have been delirious from my insomnia. Holler in the comments if you know what I'm talking about.
Zach did announce some exciting developments. Beirut expects to release a new record soon, but Zach didn't give any clues as to when it would happen. But, it is now confirmed that they are working on something new. Fingers crossed that it happens this year.
Carousels - Beirut
Setlist (I pieced this together independently, so please let me know if any of this is wrong)
Elephant Gun
Mimizan
Forks and Knives
The Shrew
Postcards From Italy
Cherbourg
Scenic World
East Harlem
Sunday Smile
The Akara
Nantes
Cozak (or is it Cocek?)
Carousels
----------
The Penalty
Mount Wroclai
Gulag Orkestar
July 6, 2010
Beirut - MHOW 07.05.10
June 21, 2009
Northside Festival 2009 - Day 2
via Auditory Threshold
Day 2 of the Northside Festival started off with Sunset Rubdown, one of the festival's headlining acts. Sunset Rubdown began as a solo project of Wolf Parade's Spencer Krug, but it eventually grew into a full band. Sunset Rubdown has been touring North America in support of their latest album, Dragonslayer, and they made a stop at Studio B. Unfortunately, their set was plagued with many technical difficulties. Spencer faced the challenge of malfunctioning mics the entire night. Each time his mic was swapped out, the new one would inevitably cut out a little. I guess Studio B's equipment just couldn't handle Krug's powerful voice. Despite Krug's entertaining Canadianisms, the crowd was audibly distracted as the band pioneered through.
Idiot Heart - Sunset Rubdown
via Auditory Threshold
We wanted to drop by Real Estate's set at Death By Audio, but we were running too late to make the trip worth it. Instead, we headed over to Music Hall of Williamsburg to catch Kristian Matsson aka The Tallest Man on Earth. We last saw Kristian when he opened for Bon Iver. Since then, his Dylan-esque melodies and vocals have won over quite a crowd in New York, and it was obvious by the audience in attendance. Kristian was completely channeling a rockabilly style with his clothes and hair, and it always surprises me that he is indeed Swedish. No cover of Nico's "These Days" on this night, although someone did shout out a request, but you can enjoy a video of a past performance here.
via Auditory Threshold
I'm pretty unfamiliar with John Vanderslice and his music, but I decided to check him out based on some recommendations. There's something about him that reminds me of some of the music that I listened to during the 90's, including Better Than Ezra. Extremely accessible musicians like Vanderslice are pleasant to listen to, but they don't leave much of an impression on me. Out of his set, the song that I musically enjoyed the most was "Tablespoon of Codeine." Aside from the politically driven lyrics, the track has simple, yet haunting melody lines that have a way of embedding themselves into your memory. John Vanderslice is currently touring North America with The Tallest Man on Earth.
Tablespoon of Codeine - John Vanderslice
Coverage from Day 1 here.
June 2, 2009
Grizzly Bear - MHOW 05.31.09
via Will Shu
The NYTimes may have hated seeing Grizzly Bear, but I couldn't disagree more with the review. After this past weekend, I've now experienced Grizzly Bear four times, and the guys sound better with each show. Some people are turned off by the band's lack of crowd interaction, and I can understand that. I definitely thought the band looked bored by their own music when I first saw them. Since then, I've been educated by One For The Good Days to watch drummer Chris Bear if I ever need to be entertained. But, I don't go to Grizzly Bear shows to be visually entertained. Over and over, I go back because I simply can't get enough of the absolutely stunning moments that they create, the kind of music that is so beautiful that it breaks your heart every single time.
When Grizzly Bear started with a near-perfect rendition of "Southern Point," one of my favorites off the latest Veckatimest, I knew that their show at Music Hall of Williamsburg would be a special night. In the smallest venue I have ever seen them play, Grizzly Bear seemed at ease, as if they were actually enjoying themselves. That's right, the normally stoic Grizzly Bear members had smiles on their faces. They appeared noticeably more comfortable, and the audience could hear it in the music. I preferred GB without the extra trimmings like Nico Muhly or the ACME String Quartet who were both at the Town Hall show I attended on the previous Friday. Seeing the four members up close, I couldn't help but think how cosmic it is that these people somehow found each other in order to create this music. I don't know how people can find Grizzly Bear to be cold, because I find their music to be extremely transportive in the most emotionally manipulative way. It is rare to find music so powerful that it's able to speak to you on a somewhat subconscious level. Yes, they are very precise musicians, but their consistency is something I look forward to with each concert. In the end, I have to admit that I may have an uncommon reaction to Grizzly Bear's music. When I hear a song like "Little Brother," I can't help but smile like a fool. Maybe particular music elements resonate deeply with me, but I know that I'm a fan for life.
One thing I noticed during the show was how much I enjoyed listening to the older, non-Veckatimest material. It took me quite awhile to wrap my head around Yellow House, but I almost think I like it more than Veckatimest. After carefully listening to an album for an extended period of time, I find the "lightbulb moment" (if it ever occurs) to be such a delightful reward. With Veckatimest's greater immediate accessibility, the epiphany factor is now missing for me. I've now gone back to listening to Yellow House, of which "Easier" is my current favorite. If you've recently become a fan of Grizzly Bear, I suggest that you take the time to go through their earlier discography.
And, don't forget to watch Chris Bear if you find your mind wandering at the next Grizzly Bear show. Click here for past Grizzly Bear coverage.
via Will Shu
Southern Point - Grizzly Bear
Easier - Grizzly Bear
April 21, 2009
Of Montreal- MHOW 04.17.09
via Music for Moodies' flickr photostream
I did say that I would stop seeing Of Montreal indoors after the Roseland Ballroom show last fall. But, when I saw that they were putting a series of smaller shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg, I couldn't resist but to give them another go. I'm glad I did, because this show was closer to the first time I'd seen them (Pitchfork '07), which I still consider to be one of the most entertaining performances I've ever experienced.
Fourth time's the charm, and Of Montreal definitely got it right this time. The smaller venue made a huge difference, and it was comfortably filled to capacity. Another plus for an aging concertgoer like me, the crowd was significantly less aggressive but still danced around as one should at an Of Montreal show. This time, the show didn't feel like a bad high school production. With toned down theatrics that were more than sufficient and psychedelic visuals on three screens, Of Montreal had found a way to bombard the audience's senses without overloading them. Since the last show, Skeletal Lamping had grown on me a bit, but it will still never measure up to the tremendous Hissing Fauna. Although I will always find "Gallery Piece" to be annoying beyond belief, I did like the new song that they played on Friday night. "Like a Tourist" already makes me excited for the next crazy thing that Kevin Barnes will whip up with the next album. You can listen to the song via nyctaper here.
This guy brought his own mask. I dig that.
via Music for Moodies' flickr photostream
Ever since I saw Janelle Monae open for Jamie Lidell's Summerstage show, I've been mesmerized by her futuristic music and persona. She's got crazy dance moves, and she painted a canvas while singing a song. Random, but sort of awesome. At first, the hipsters around us were a little confused by Janelle. But, it wasn't long before everyone was dancing along. The Of Montreal crowd tends to be very open-minded when it comes to insane stage antics, so this was the perfect audience for Janelle. Years in the making, Janelle joined Of Montreal onstage during the encore for a cover of David Bowie's "Moonage Daydream."
Of Montreal continues on their U.S. tour. Catch Janelle this summer at Bonnaroo.
Requiem for O.M.M.2 - Of Montreal
First Time High (Reconstructionist Remix of "An Eluardian Instance") - Of Montreal (Jon Brion Remix)
Violet Stars Happy Hunting! - Janelle Monae
February 5, 2009
Beirut - MHOW 02.04.09
Thanks to an intimate night of a scaled-down Beirut, I’ve had “Postcards from Italy” stuck in my head all day. While I’ve had Beirut on rotation since Gulag Orkestar, I didn’t fall hard for this band until Zach cancelled their European tour and called for a hiatus last April. It’s true, I took Beirut’s existence for granted until they were temporarily absent from the scene. And, ever since I missed them at their MHOW show last May, I’ve been kicking myself for making poor life decisions.
Over the last few months of Beirut’s hiatus, I’ve found myself going back and listening to a significant amount of their music. You would think this would be a fairly normal action for any music lover, but that’s not necessarily the case with me. Most of my time is dedicated to listening to new music (or music that is new to me), and I’m constantly seeking my next “obsession.” Rarely do I spend an exorbitant amount of time on albums that are collecting virtual dust in my iTunes library. But, as confirmed with my Last.fm, Beirut falls into my top five most listened artists in the last 12 months. Not only have I been giving them heavy play, Beirut has become sort of a musical motivator/inspiration to me. Beirut is the reason why I picked up a ukulele. More importantly, they have helped me rediscover my love of piano performance, something I’d lost many years ago. So, it’s safe to say that I was ecstatic to finally go to a Beirut show, especially since I had never seen them live before.
Beirut kicked it off with the lyrically appropriate “Nantes,” a favorite off The Flying Club Cup. While I am not normally a fan of loud audience sing-alongs, it was almost appropriate for this song since it really had been too long since Beirut had an officially announced Brooklyn show. After the song ended, a guy from the audience yelled out to Zach, asking him to sign the ukulele that he had lugged to the show. Of course, Zach obliged (Note to self: Bring uke to next Beirut show), and the crowd aww’d. As expected, Beirut played new material, old favorites, a cover of “Brazil” and a tribute to Serge Gainsbourg. Upon first listen, the new Beirut double EP March of the Zapotec/Realpeople Holland did not leave much of an impression on me. But, when Beirut performed tracks off the EP last night, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed them. Either the songs have grown on me during the last couple of weeks, or they were just meant to be heard in person. What I know for sure is that Beirut really knows how to romanticize horn instruments (see here for the exact embarrassing words I used). There’s a certain charm of the instruments’ timbre that is unfortunately not captured by recordings. Also, I have no idea what you haters of Beirut’s last secret show at Coco66 are talking about. I would have loved to have gone to drink and be merry with Beirut. Almost felt like the band was TOO sober for the music they were playing, but I do appreciate the musical precision.
Unsurprisingly, nothing on my wish list came true. I probably would have died on the spot if Owen Pallett had walked onto the stage for “Cliquot.” As outrageous as this sounds, I really hoped that it would happen. Ed Droste is out of town, working on the production of Grizzly Bear’s upcoming album, but Owen is supposed to be here for two shows on Friday and Saturday. Also, is “Transatlantique” just not a song that they practice? Am I the only person who is in love with that song?
Beirut performs at BAM this Friday and Saturday with the Vassar Orkestar. I should have held onto the tickets I had for Friday…
Oh, and Tune Yards, the first opening act, was awesome. More info on her here.
Setlist (via Stereogum)
Nantes
Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)
East Harlem (Unreleased)
Cherbourg
Elephant Gun
The Shrew
The Concubine
Postcards From Italy
La Javanaise
After The Curtain
The Akara
Cocek (Unreleased)
- - - -
My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille
Scenic World
Gulag Orkestar
I believe the second encore included “Sunday Smile,” “Forks & Knives,” and “Brazil.” Thoughts?
The Akara - Beirut | Alternative Link
Transatlantique - Beirut | Alternative Link
February 2, 2009
"Untitled 18" - The Real People (Zach Condon)
via brooklynvegan
Roughly around the time that I was dedicating most of my time to teenage angst and emo music, Zach Condon was doing something slightly more constructive and arguably cooler (by a very slim margin, of course). Pre-dating the Balkan folk style that distinguishes Beirut's music, The Joys of Losing Weight was an unreleased album that Condon had put together at age fifteen under the moniker of The Real People. I read that Zach had some solo material before Beirut, but I didn't know of the digital availability of The Joys of Losing Weight until recently (Thanks, Nate!). When I started listening to "Untitled 18," I felt like I was given a rare glimpse into Zach's musical development. For one, the track opens with a beautiful guitar intro, which is something I did not expect from him. But, this album is from a time when Condon was still able to wrap his wrist around a guitar, before he underwent surgery and traded in the guitar for a ukulele. Although I absolutely adore the uke and Beirut is my inspiration for buying one, I didn't miss it one bit in this bossa nova-inspired track. As a fan of Beirut, I think it's exciting to hear something that is distinctively different, even if it was from seven years ago.
Beirut explores more of this project with their Realpeople Holland EP, which is currently available for download with the March of Zapotec EP. Grab the rest of The Joys of Losing Weight here. Beirut plays three shows this week, one at MHOW and two at BAM. I may possibly have an extra ticket to MHOW, if there are any takers.
Yes, this was a pre-show hype post. I can't help it, I am so stoked to see them. My fingers are crossed for one of the following events to occur:
1. "Transatlantique" is on the set list. Unlikely but not impossible.
2. Beirut plays rarities from The Joys of Losing Weight. Highly unlikely and pretty impossible.
3. Owen Pallett or Ed Droste join Beirut for "Cliquot." I must be insane for wasting a wish on this one.
Untitled 18 - The Real People (Zach Condon) | Alternative Link
