Beirut

[joyfulgirl]

I like the live performance of that song so much better than on the record.

 

[IWasBored]

i like "santa fe" a lot.

i'm doing the cobbler by listening to the rip tide, having lied to you all several pages back when i said i was jumping on the bandwagon.

spotifying my way through year-end lists and what other stuff they remind me i never got around to checking out/purchasing before is making me spend far too much money on itunes tonight...

 

[u2popmofo]

Heard this on the radio yesterday and really liked it. Our boy Zach is featured pretty significantly in the song, give it a listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkwbBZzM6ZE

 

[u2popmofo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpN2XAg2bQs

 

[u2popmofo]

This music video is awesome.

The Rip Tide - YouTube

 

[joyfulgirl]

Still my favorite song on that record, and one of my favorite Beirut songs, period. Even though it usually make me cry.


edit: Damn, I wrote that before I got to the end of the video. Pretty great.

 

[u2popmofo]

Beirut just posted some new photos on Facebook, the band's website is suddenly "down for maintenance", and someone posted this in the comments:

Songs We Love: Beirut, 'No No No' | knba

 

[joyfulgirl]

I hardly recognize him in that photo.

 

[gump]

It's time for new Beirut.

 

[cobl04]

All I know of Beirut is that I saw them live and the lead singer's permanent, teethy smile was creepy as all hell.

 

[gump]

Start here, cobbler. You are welcome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X61BVv6pLtw

 

[joyfulgirl]

All I know of Beirut is that I saw them live and the lead singer's permanent, teethy smile was creepy as all hell.

That doesn't sound like Zach Condon.

 

[u2popmofo]

That doesn't sound like Zach Condon.

That's what I thought as well.

 

[u2popmofo]

Sept 11:

No No No:

01 Gibraltar
02 No No No
03 At Once
04 August Holland
05 As Needed
06 Perth
07 Pacheco
08 Fener
09 So Allowed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfE156KQBa0

The follow-up to 2011's The Rip Tide was recorded last winter in Brooklyn by Condon, bassist Paul Collins, and drummer Nick Petree. According to a press release, its creation followed a physical and mental breakdown Condon suffered in Australia in 2013, as well as a divorce. "I had completely broken down and my body was making me pay for it," Condon said in a statement. "For the first time in my life, I was facing extreme self doubt. I had hit rock bottom." But the start of a new relationship provided Condon with a new outlook on life. "Having a positive presence like her both provides a healthy guiding force and shines a light on all the negative things in your life," he said. "I definitely wouldn’t be where I am now without her."

06-19 Woodstock, NY - Bearsville Theatre
06-26 Montreal, Québec - Festival International de Jazz de Montreal
06-28 Ottawa, Ontario - Ottawa Jazz Festival
07-16 Pemberton, British Columbia - Pemberton Music Festival
08-22 Portland, OR - Musicfest NW
09-14 Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
09-17 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
09-20 Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
09-22 Paris, France - Zenith
09-24 London, England - Brixton Academy
10-01 New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall
10-04 Santa Fe, NM - Santa Fe National Historic Landmark
10-06 San Diego, CA - Open Air Theatre
10-07-08 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium
10-10 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre
10-13 Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
11-03 Washington, DC - Lincoln Theatre
11-06 Philadelphia, PA - Tower Theatre
11-07 Boston, MA - House of Blues
11-10 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
10-13-14 Toronto, Ontario - Danforth Music Hall

 

[joyfulgirl]

I have no idea what "Santa Fe National Historic Landmark" could mean other than a free concert on the plaza.

Spoiler

 

[u2popmofo]

How far is it to Santa Fe from Dallas again?

 

[joyfulgirl]

I don't know. Probably 10 hours or so?

But American has a shuttle between DFW and Santa Fe Airport.

 

[u2popmofo]

 

[cobl04]

That doesn't sound like Zach Condon.

That's what I thought as well.

Wait, I think it was the drummer...? He's bald?

 

[joyfulgirl]

I think you've got the wrong band. There's too much going on onstage at a Beirut show for a drummer's toothy smile to be the only lasting impression. (Although I admit this guy is showing some teeth!)

When they played here years ago, two tours ago, they played outside in one of the coolest venues this town has ever had (which sadly doesn't exist anymore), on a perfect summer night, and it was an absolutely joyous occasion because it's their hometown, and people were literally climbing a coyote fence to get inside. I was perched on a big rock above the madding crowd and it was just one of those really rare and special shows where everything clicked and crescendoed into this wild, ecstatic reverie (okay, slight exaggeration probably but that's how I remember it). The last show here wasn't nearly that good because of the horrible venue, although I got to stand beside Zach's mother who was the happiest woman in town that night.

This performance can't begin to do their live shows justice because it's TV but it's still great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvB1HI6fcog

 

[u2popmofo]

The new album is better than I thought it would be considering how quick they threw it all together. Probably my least fav of theirs, but it's still enjoyable.

 

[gump]

The new album is better than I thought it would be considering how quick they threw it all together. Probably my least fav of theirs, but it's still enjoyable.

My feeling exactly.

 

[LemonMelon]

Wish I liked this one more, but it really sounds like they mailed it in. A lot of tracks sound unfinished or too thin.

 

[u2popmofo]

Better than most could do in a couple weeks.

 

[joyfulgirl]

The free homecoming show on the plaza is in a couple of hours and I'm scared to go. Apparently multitudes are coming, which is not surprising given that it's also Balloon Fiesta week (something I've never attended during 15 years of living here), and free, and everybody's got their "I went to school with/taught/babysat/dated/waited on Zach" story (except me. I have no Zach stories whatsoever). And where will all these people stand? It's a tiny plaza.

 

[joyfulgirl]

So the show was kinda boring, guys. The first time I saw them they had a wildness about them, and it was exciting. I remember there being 8 or 10 people on stage, including a woman or two. They were passionate and weird and I raved about it in here. One of the most memorable nights I've ever had in this town with live music.

The second time I blamed the venue for it being sorta flat but still pretty great.

But this was 6 guys playing some adult contemporary mall music on the plaza. I felt nothing. Again, maybe it was the venue - or lack thereof. Maybe it was because it was light outside and there were kids and dogs and senior citizens in lawn chairs eating ice cream - which was really nice, actually - I generally like that everybody's-welcome vibe and I'm not sure why that would necessarily suck the life out of the music, so I don't think that's it (that first show was also outdoors and had kids and dogs and it was pure magic), but I dunno, I almost left after 45 minutes but wanted to see if the encores generated any energy. They did not.

 

[u2popmofo]

I've only seen them outdoors, and I didn't think it worked very well in that sort of setting. I've seen live performances of theirs on Youtube that were fantastic though. Maybe someone should tell them to stop playing outside.

 

[LemonMelon]

It's probably the fault of the material. Pretty damn lifeless stuff compared to, say, Gulag Orkestar. It hasn't been that long since The Rip Tide, so I'm sure they're capable of writing more great material, but I would basically describe No No No as background music.

 

[u2popmofo]

 

[gump]

I like it. No no no no no no wasn't that great, so I'm not all that excited that he's working with the same producer, but I'm looking forward to it.