Beirut took the stage before a sold-out crowd at First Avenue on Fri. night.
For those not yet on the Beirut bandwagon (just wait, you will be), it may come as a surprise that frontman Zach Condon hails from Santa Fe, where his primary musical influences were Mexican. It wasn’t until a European escapade with his brother that Condon was exposed to the riches of world music.
When Beirut began in earnest, it was not unlike many modern outfits, consisting of Condon, recording solo, in his bedroom. Times have changed and Beirut is now a Brooklyn-based, critically acclaimed six piece that is taking the indie music biz by storm.
First Avenue’s stage decoration hinted at the old world romanticism on deck with red and white bulbs strung overhead. Touches like this made it easy to see how Condon’s former, more humble life (including a job screening foreign films at an independent theater) has been incorporated into Beirut’s vibe.
The band was met with eager applause when they emerged. The crowd had clearly memorized the lyrics to many of the 14-song set list, a mark of dedication since Condon, whose weary-beyond-his-25-years baritone, has a tendency to emphasize projection rather than enunciation.
The instruments outnumbered the musicians with an accordion, trumpets, tuba, trombone, French horn, drums, upright bass and bass guitar all getting air time during the 90 minutes of almost non-stop music. Though Condon himself never picked up a guitar, he certainly had his hands full as he alternated between playing ukulele and trumpet.
The audience at First Avenue basked in the performance as trumpets dueled, Condon crooned and his supporting musicians sweated through their button-down shirts. The venue, at elbow-to-elbow capacity, swelled with the ripe, lush melodies of Beirut’s hard-to-pin-down mix of Eastern European orchestration, ‘80s rock and gypsy folk sounds.
While Condon seemed completely comfortable and confident in the spotlight during the songs, he did not venture much into small talk between the tunes. The most he uttered was, “You’re allowed to sing along. It’s dark. No one can see you.”
And sing along they did. The mood in the mainroom was downright celebratory, with audience members dancing, kissing and clinking beer bottles to the band’s soundtrack. One felt transported to another place and time, and for a split second, could even imagine standing under an open sky in an unknown land, awaiting the arrival of a valiant warrior on a stallion. A younger, more female audience might have swooned.
That said, what’s so charming about a band like Beirut is that there’s no gimmick attached; it’s just authentic, unpretentious artistry. Think Mumford & Sons, before the Grammys got to them, and more instrumentally diverse.
Songs played were primarily from the band’s latest release, “The Rip Tide,” but tunes from previous albums “Gulag Orkestar” (2006) and “The Flying Club Cup” (2007) were also featured. Condon has said that much of his music was inspired by youthful dreams of traveling the world; now, after years on tour with Beirut, one wonders if life is imitating art or the other way around? It’s unclear, but with a sound so all-consuming, who cares?
As the final song in the set list came to a close, it was clear the audience wasn’t ready to go home. “If they don’t play another song,” a man in the crowd said, “There’s going to be a riot!”
After several minutes of thunderous applause, Condon returned to the stage and played a ukulele solo. When the band joined him for three additional songs, fans were met with a spectacular blast of horns. Condon was visibly moved by the audience’s response and it seemed as though he would’ve played all night if he could.
As concert-goers filed out into the frigid streets of downtown, it was clear they were under the influence of a sonic afterglow. Beirut’s evocation of restlessness and wanderlust is a feeling that Minnesotans on the brink of winter hibernation can relate to.
Published on Metromix Twin Cities in Dec. 2011
2:35 p.m. "Do not start a keyboard war, whatever you do," Mallman warns keyboard player James Tyler O'Neill. O'Neill obeys and sips his drink while Mallman pounds away.
"What's the longest you've stayed awake?" Mallman asks him when Ian finishes chewing whatever edible he's stolen from Mallman's table.
4 p.m. We've hit the 48-hour mark! The crowd, which has grown considerably in the last hour, cheers "Mallman! Mallman! Mallman!" Familiar faces from the Twin Cities music scene abound, including Sean Tillman (Har Mar Superstar) and frontman Ryan McNally from Speed's The Name.
4:11 p.m. Casey Call, Joe Gamble, David LeDuc, and Joe Call, also known as Indie rock band Pictures of Then, take the stage. After a chorus or two about corn fields, Mallman turns to the boys, who are wailing away on their instruments, and waxes poetic about a giant pickle. Coincidence? I think not.
6:53 p.m. After hitting a fever pitch, Mallman asks Kassel, bassist Matt Johnson and drummer Wendy Lynn Staats to slow down the tempo. Half-singing, half-speaking, Mallman lays the gratitude--to his creative muses, his attentive audience, and his talented musicians--on thick. Between bites of a Pink Lady, Mallman croons about hope, peace, and defeating fear.
Erica Rivera also filmed the finale:
PICTURES OF THEN BAND BIO
Somewhere in the Midwest, there is a van full of vagabonds in a race against time. Their bodies ache from mechanical bull rides in dive bars. They down strawberry milkshakes and gas station sandwiches and compose songs en route with a pink twenty dollar guitar. They dress in aviator glasses and military jackets and boast about last night’s high score on Ms. Pacman.
These societal outcasts are the members of PICTURES OF THEN, an Iowan-bred, Minneapolis based folk/pop/rock band. They are on a mission to revive the glory days of rock-and-roll and redefine the modern musician.
PICTURES OF THEN is a collision of contradictions that teeters between past and present without staking claim in either. The band simultaneously waxes nostalgic yet aches for transformation. Their sound is hauntingly familiar; the kind of music your parents would’ve listened to had they been hip instead of hippies; the songs Generation X would have written if only they’d discovered their voices sooner.
PICTURES OF THEN is a tribute to how things never were—but should have been. Their albums are epic journeys defined by indulging rebellion, escaping from the shackles of familiarity, tasting freedom for the first time, seizing second chances, unleashing repressed anger, and the inevitable yearning to return to the age of innocence.
PICTURES OF THEN evoke an intoxicating aural cocktail of The Flaming Lips, Smashing Pumpkins, Wilco, and Dr. Dog. Their sound harkens back to The Beatles…with bite. Gritty, raw and unapologetic, the songs of PICTURES OF THEN are a plea for redemption, at times whispered, often screamed, with Jameson-spiked breath. It is a sound that refuses to be polished, packaged, and sold to the sleepwalking masses.
PICTURES OF THEN has garnered nationwide acclaim since their 2007 debut album Crushed By Lights. Their latest release, The Wicked Sea, was described by Amplifier Magazine as “loaded with glittering pop diamonds that are never showy, always tasteful, and completely infectious.”
PICTURES OF THEN has been featured on MTV’s The Real World and The Hills, and the band has performed on FOX Good Day Live, NBC affiliate Showcase Minnesota, and The Local Show on Minnesota Public Radio.
PICTURES OF THEN has toured extensively, including appearances at South by Southwest, Red Gorilla Music Fest, and Crossroads Music Festival. They were named an Emerging Artist by Paste Magazine, Top 11 Emerging Artist by Summerfest (Milwaukee), and are the winners of Billboard Magazine’s 2010 Battle Royale competition.
Onstage, PICTURES OF THEN’s energy is electric. Their shows catapult from head banging rock numbers to danceable pop songs to stingingly wistful tunes. Brothers Casey and Joe Call, David LeDuc, and Joe Gamble hold nothing back, rocketing into full-throttle abandon and leaving the audience breathless every time.
With an impressive Facebook following and an eclectic collection of videos on their YouTube channel, PICTURES OF THEN is bound to be the next big thing.
“Here's a band that seems destined for bigger audiences and greater acclaim."
~THE ONION
"Their masterful mash-up of folk and rock will no doubt have listeners on board for a voyage."
~PERFORMER MAGAZINE
“PICTURES OF THEN is on the fast track to the top.”
~Lithium Press Release
