When I read that Beirut was playing a show in my neighborhood, all of three blocks from where I live, I was quite excited. One of the few things about my neighborhood I wish was different is the lack of music venues: It’s possible to catch the occasional jazz trio at some of the local restaurants (which I’m all for), but Fort Greene doesn’t have any proper venues, particularly for the kinds of shows that I attend. To suddenly believe it possible that the Masons were willing to let promoters put on shows, big shows with good bands, nonetheless, was kind of like waking up from a fantasy about having the Bowery Ballroom conveniently located at the end of your block, and then finding out it was true.

Actually, while the Masonic Temple is huge, beautiful and mysterious from the outside, it’s not the Bowery. And that’s ok. It’s quite good for what it is, which is a very large room with a huge seated balcony on three sides, and a smallish stage. My best guess is that without seats on the floor (the venue was entirely seated for this show), its capacity is about 800 folks or so. The lighting and sound system left a little to be desired, though adequate. Considering that this was the first show held at this venue, things went pretty smoothly.

Beirut were quite good; they were a fairly large ensemble (eight or nine folks on stage), with all the instrumentation one would expect from listening to their records. Most members of the band were multi-instrumentalists, and the resulting balance between stringed instruments, horns and percussion changed quite frequently. My favorite consisted of three ukulele players side by side at the front of the stage, for no reason that I can remember, but it sounded good. It’s not the kind of thing one sees very often. The crowd was attentive and enthusiastic; the band made it through the set with only minor miscommunications, which is impressive considering how much shifting around was going on with each song. Zack Condon’s voice was distinctive and clear, and his understated confidence was quite charming. It was what I’d hoped for in a Beirut show. If you’re a fan of any of the records, I’d highly recommend seeing them when they come through your town. And I’d also recommend checking out Devotchka, who will probably be right up your ally.

Labels: Beirut, Concert Reviews