“It’s our first show in New York, and the band is mostly new, so we we’re trying to keep it a bit low key and see how it goes,” Zach wrote to us a few weeks back. Then came the blog love. His “low key” wish turned into a packed house of eager Gulag gawkers, hoping to see the album’s majesty translated in concert.
The first show came off like … a first show. Songs ended with sheepish smiles and arm waves at the drummer (The National’s Bryan Devendorf). Ukeleles were tuned for minutes in between. Full bars of our faves rushed by while Zach switched instruments, making the four-man arrangements a bit limp. Still, the crowd was patient, and Zach showed talent and poise despite the glitches.
“We’re gonna play another from our album: ‘Mt. Wroclai’ … one of our smash blog hits,” Zach quipped. “But, that really doesn’t justify what I do to my parents. ‘I swear, I’m famous on the Internet, mom!’” For that moment, through Zach’s world-weary vibrato and the tune’s gypsy lilt, Beirut approached the album’s easy, dreamy charm, but the set felt more like a warm-up for something more. Give the live act some time. Get the album now (Amazon | iTunes).
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Concert photos are the closest thing you can get to filler for a blog. Booooooooring.
Anonymous comments aren’t just close to insults, they are. Grow a pair and appreciate stereogum.com for what it is – excellent, off-kilter news, reviews, and mp3s.
Seriously… can we cut down on the pictures around here? I like staring exclusively at words, sentences and the occassional bold print. OCCASSIONAL!!! If I wanted to see pictures, I would go to National Geographic’s website, where the black titties hang like so many freshly laundered shirts in the poorest section of Brooklyn. Or I would look at the album stored in my camera phone… man that was a crazy BBQ/vactation/coachella afterparty!!!
The closest thing to filler in life is anonymous commentors. And denstists.
I would go to National Geographic’s website if I wanted to see wildlife pictures.
I would go to Stereogum’s website if I wanted to see indie rock pictures.
I would go to the anonymous hater’s website if I wanted to see ‘random pasty faced hipster kid w/ a word fetish’ pictures.
Wish I could have anonymously been at the Knitting Factory to take these pics as filler for my own blog.
Still haven’t picked up that Beirut album, and I really should. I need an inheritance or something.
reminds me a bit of Jens Lekman, particularly his live shows that involve copious amounts of uke.
The Beirut CD is $10 if you order it from Ba Da Bing (http://badabingrecords.com/catalog.html versus $13.98 from Amazon. That should help save some of your inheritance Rich.
I like the pics and object to your objection. Now i’m going to go get a life.
However, if it wasn’t for the internet, all of us anonymous types would still be throwing bricks through windows with notes wrapped around them.
i’ve been crushing pretty heavily on beirut lately.
The pics give us something out here in the hicks that you can’t get, a look at good bands live, no matter how far removed from the original. I also think that they look pretty cool, ya know. Go Idaho(exclamation point)
Thank you Stereogum.
First time I’ve come across you guys, just listened to your tracks in i-tunes…
Like a crazy mix of radiohead & european folk:-)
Bests!
he is kind of adorable.
Hey soc — thanks for the link. Just picked it up. I wonder how many copies they’ve sold this month…
The Pforkers weighed in on Gulag, giving it a 7.7.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or who cares?
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/beirut/gulag-orkestar.shtml
Rich – no problem!
Amrit – Pitchfork is probably just jealous that they weren’t the genesis of the Beirut hype. I don’t trust their numbers much anyway.
pitchfork likes to think that they are the one and only source that “breaks” the important new music, so when a band is already hyped in other places, they always downplay it. Dusted magazine wrote a review today which is much more on-target.
I’ve been listening to the album non-stop for days & days now, something that I rarely do with bands anymore. I could see myself putting this album on my stereo 20-30 years from now and still liking it. I can’t say that for anything else I have on rotation at the moment.
Its nice to year something so much more timeless for a change. In 20 years, they won’t be on any Nugget Comp “Hits of the 00′s!” and for good reason. (PS. anyone wanna take a guess as to what would be on that comp?)
“Popazao”?
I miss Berlin
http://ultra8201.blogspot.com
nice review (and photos) Amrit….but I would have been a bit more harsh. the show was so very boring compared to the lovely record Zach has made….it sounded to me like they have quite a long ways to go before I would see them again (or until they can re-create what they’ve recorded, in a live setting)
Downloaded it today from eMusic. So good. Soooo goooooodddd. *drool*
I’ve always wondered, when blogs link to a site where you can buy the album, why is it always big company thingies like Amazon and iTunes and not the label’s site that put the album out (in this case, bada-bing)?
I saw these guys at SXSW. They were really great. Good post.