It’s been three years since Beirut released The Rip Tide, and a year since their last show in New York City, which took place last year at Governors Ball. We can only hope that a new album is around the corner, but there’s no official word. The fact that they performed a few weeks ago at the new Brooklyn outdoor concert space 50 Kent is an encouraging sign either way. The show took place on June 14 as a part of the Northside Festival.
New York hip-hop group Ratking interestingly got things started. It was a bit of a bizarre pairing with a band such as Beirut, and you could sort of feel a disconnect between the group and the audience. Even so, the group worked through it. The trio is now a quartet on stage, joined by saxophone player Isaiah Barr live. He adds a lot of flavor to the groups smart and well thought out hip-hop.
When the time for Beirut came, it felt like a homecoming celebration of sorts. Zach Condon acknowledged the fact that it had been the while, and was very pleased to be back playing in New York. The band played two new songs apparently titled “Rumeli” and “No No No” Both sounded very much like you’d expect from the group. They played everything that fans could have asked for, from set opener “East Harlem” to “Elephant Gun”, “Nantes” and “A Sunday Smile.” A personal highlight of mine will always be “Postcards From Italy”, a song that simply never gets old.
There’s just something refreshing about hearing all these old school instruments coming together to make old fashioned music sound so new. When you have instruments like trumpets, accordions, cellos, trombones and tubas being fused with gypsy-rock, the results are always refreshing.
Beirut never crease to amaze me when I see them live, and I’m sure that their new album will be another solid addition to their catalog.
Below I’ve shared video recordings of the two new live songs, along with the setlist and some more photos.
Setlist:
1. East Harlem
2. Vagabond
3. Cherbourg
4. Rumeli (New Song)
5. The Akara
6. Postcards From Italy
7. A Sunday Smile
8. The Shrew
9. Elephant Gun
10. Cocek
11. Scenic World
12. After the Curtain
13. Nantes
14. Guyamas Sonora
15. My Night with the Prositute from Marseille
Encore:
1. The Penalty
2. Carousels
3. No No No
4. The Gulag Orkestar
Beirut – Rumeli (New Song):
Ratking:
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