Is there anyone in the current music scene that belies his age more than Zach Condon? Beyond his songwriting skills he possesses incredible maturity both as a performer and as a bandleader. When I first heard Beirut’s debut album Gulag Orkestar last year I was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness of their musical approach – a mixture of Balkan and Eastern European gypsy sounds as a basis for fresh indie pop compositions. All the lyrics are in English but the way they are sung, as well as Zach’s mature (yes, that word again) voice, makes it compatible with the cultural roots of the music. Since Beirut’s debut last year they have released two EPs, and recently their second album The Flying Club Cup.
Tonight they played the Avalon, a rather large Los Angeles venue for a group just two years old, which speaks to the rapid spread of the band’s popularity. The first opener was Zach’s fellow New Mexico resident Alaska in Winter, aka Brandon Bethancourt. Surprisingly enough Bethancourt’s music is also Balkan influenced as is disclaimed by the title of his album Dance Party in the Balkans. The music is somewhat reminiscent of Beirut’s but much sparser as can be expected from an orchestra of one. He also incorporates electronic samples into his songs while his vocals are often run through a vocoder. Bethancourt also recorded unique videos for each of the songs he performed. Projected above him on a screen were videos comprised of up to nine individual panels, each showing him playing instruments and acting as separate band members. In some of the frames he is even portrayed as female. It reminded me vaguely of Cindy Sherman’s self portraits where she transformed herself into different characters.
Second up was French solo performer Colleen. Right before she came on stage the audience was asked to sit on the floor as this would be an appropriate way to experience and respect the quietness of her music. She played a variety of instruments including cello and clarinet. True to the announcement, her music of classically inspired folk was very quiet. It was strange to see her perform surrounded by all of Beirut’s microphone stands that were set up across the stage. During Alaska in Winter’s set the videos shown on the screen had drawn my attention away from the forest of stands. Her quiet contemplative music was a good contrasting setup for the music that would come from Beirut.
When Beirut finally took the stage the floor was almost completely filled. The eager crowd roared as the band started off with “The Penalty.” Zach sang and played the intro with his ukulele and his six bandmates shortly joined in. The song was a good warm up for the crowd with Condon’s voice on top form. The fourth song was “Scenic World” and by this time small dance circles started to crop up throughout the audience. Many that weren’t dancing swayed side to side in unison to the music, reminding me of passengers tossed around by waves on a small ship. I couldn’t help but sway myself when they played “A Sunday Smile,” as romantic a song as I’ve heard all year. Throughout the night Condon and his band played a myriad of instruments with members often swapping positions on stage.
Although Zach seemed comfortable on stage he still shied away from talking to the audience. One amusing thing he revealed about himself on stage at SXSW this year was his ocd habit of cleaning out the spit valve of his trumpet after every song. I only caught him doing this once tonight. As the night went on the crowd became louder and louder and the dancing more fervent. Near the end of the set the band played a cover of a Jacques Brel song, no doubt a tribute to Paris, where the new album was written, and an opportunity for Zach to show off his French nasalization.
This was the last US show for Beirut on this tour, and the band said their farewells to the crowd. I would not be surprised if the album built up momentum well into next year allowing them to make another stop in Los Angeles soon, perhaps even Coachella. At their current rate they could even release an EP or two by then.
