I've only known of Beirut for a few months...but they're like pure awesomeness in a can. We got to Sala Rossa at about 7:45 pm and waited for about 30 mins until they let us in. We were one of the first few people to be let in...and as such we got places right up in front of stage...which rocks considering it was a sold out show.
At this point, one of the openings acts was playing. He was called "Alaska in Winter" and I later found out that his cd is called "Dance Party in the Balkans" - but on the screen behind him it was written as "dance parti in ze balkans".
De toute façon, he was great! It's basically one guy that loops different sounds that he recorded. While that's happening he sings and the screen behind has little squares...in each square is him doing something different. So, picture one dude playing keyboards, drums, banjo, guitar while doing the running man dance, or just plain singing. His costumes also matched those in the video. In the first song, he was wearing his full outfit or pants and red sweater with a tie and his furry hat. And that's how he was dressed in the video. later he took off his tie, and then his shirt and pants...only to find another pair of pants and shirt under...but they were white instead.
He was also pretty funny :) at one point he was singing and said " I dunno what I'm supposed to say right now, but I'll keep saying something anyways"
and later "The song is nooot overrr...but if you want to get a drink you can, just ask the bartender".
Another time, he went to a little corridor off the side while dancing...we're like o_O what's he doing. He comes back. Then we see an arm stretched out from said corridor with a Corona. Anyways, lotsa fun. If he came to play, I'd go :D
http://www.myspace.com/ala
Next was Colleen. She had a quiet set...played Cello and Clarinet and sometimes wind chimes. They asked us to sit on the floor for this...which was kinda cool, except my foot was falling asleep. One song gave me slight shivers...so that's good stuff there.
So Beirut comes onto this small stage. They are 8 people playing all kinds of instruments - ukelele, horns/trumpets, violin, drums, keyboards, xylophones. It's great :D
Here's the setlist (I stole it after the show, muahahaha!)
Elephant Gun
Brandenburg
Nantes
La Fête
Sunday Smile
Cherbourg
Scenic World
Mt. Wroclai
In the mausoleum
Cucek
Le Moribond
After the curtain
Carousels
Penalty
----
Encore:
Postcards from Italy - this was absolutely epic...all the instruments together :)
Closing Song/Gulag Orkestar
and theeen, he did a surprise cover of "Hallelujah" on the ukelele :D
I don't really know what to say other than the show was reaaaally good. I wasn't really expecting anything...so I was pleasantly surprised. Pamela and I paid tribute to Laurel and her awesome finger dance during "After the Curtain". There was a part where it was just really fitting, bwahaha.
The singer was kinda funny too. He was like "i need some more cognac up here :)!
And people would scream things of course. So one time, someone goes "WOOOOOOOO" and he goes "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
So people tried to woo again to make him ahh! but he said "Yeah, it ain't happenin again".
Then, another crowd person said "more accordion!", he said "Everything...all the time. I'm just going to repeat what you guys say".
I was only sad that they didn't play Guyamas Sonora. That's my favorite song off of the new album.
So yeah, awesome night :)
