Zach Condon's band, Beirut is not your typical indie-pop band. Balkan folk influences mean audiences will hear accordions, trumpets, tubas, trombones and ukeleles along with bass and drums. The orchestrated feel of the arrangements also mean Beirut is well-suited for the Moody Theater. A sold-out crowd watched Wednesday evening as Condon led his band through a rousing set that often saw fans singing along.
The 90-minute set led off with "The Concubine" but it was the second song, "Elephant Gun" that got more audience reaction as fans cheered the opening riffs. Beirut rolled out new songs that will appear on "The Rip Tide" due out August 30th. The new material featured extended instrumental sections that gave the band a chance to show off a bit.
Condon's smooth tenor lent a dreamy, indie feeling to the vocals. It was as though he was a conductor. leading his orchestra through a performance at the Arts Center. The band followed Condon's lead as he delivered a masterful performance. When the song, "Nantes" came around, you could hardly hear the vocals over fans singing along.
Beirut played a four song encore which included “Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)” and “The Gulag Orkestar” from the eponymous album. It was by all accounts a wildly successful performance by a band who has developed their unique style into a joyful celebration of the merging of pop and Balkan folk music.
Set List:
“The Concubine”
“Elephant Gun”
“The Shrew”
“Vagabond”
“Postcards From Italy”
“Mimizan”
“Scenic World (Lon Gisland Version)”
“Sante Fe”
“Sunday Smile”
“The Akara”
“Nantes”
“East Harlem”
“Cherbourg”
“After The Curtain”
ENCORE:
“Goshen”
“My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille”
“Carousels”
“Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)”
“The Gulag Orkestar”
Our photographer, Jenny Alvarado managed to get a few photos for you to view in the slideshow on the left sidebar.
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