Review: Beirut
TriPod, Dublin
THE first time Beirut played their own Dublin gig in 2007, the eagerly anticipated show was a bit of a shambles.
On their return to TriPod, they electrified the sell-out crowd, which included none other than Sean Penn.
Beirut have built a head of steam in the past few years, evolving from a solo venture by New Mexican Zach Condon into a full-blown band project incorporating Balkan folk and indie rock, straddling world music and alt-rock audiences.
Condon and his seven-piece band are a euphoric delight. It takes them a short while to find their stride, but when they do, they're unstoppable.
The jewel in their crown is the sublime 'Postcards from Italy'. Its fusion of brass and ukulele is stunning, topped off with Condon's trembling vocals. When the horns kick in half-way in, the entire crowd, including Mr Penn, are visibly thrilled.
Zachary Francis Condon is a mysterious frontman. His cherubic features make him resemble a very youthful Dylan Moran. The 24-year old musician boasts a suitably nomadic past wandering around two continents, which informs his original take on Balkan indie folk. Indeed, he's almost single-handedly invented the genre.
Balkan fusion is not unique to Beirut and the increasingly popular Gogol Bordello are its other notable exponents.
However, Beirut are as equally enthralling live as on record, whereas the aforementioned Bordello are more of a party band.
Zach mentions how, at the last Dublin show, he drunkenly murdered 'Hallelujah', and promises to stick to his own stuff tonight. He chips in a cover from his friends A Hawk and a Hacksaw, but the rest of the set is an enchanting run through of the highlights of his three studio albums.
Mr Penn is nodding along contentedly. Beirut are a total revelation, more than compensating for Condon's drunken tomfoolery the last time round.
- Eamon Sweeney
