While it may sound like an entire Balkan orchestra plays these modern songs, mournful ballads and upbeat marches, Beirut is largely the work of Albuquerque native, Zach Condon.
Horns, violins, cellos, ukuleles, mandolins, glockenspiels, drums, tambourines, congas, organs, pianos, clarinets and accordions all build and break the melodies under Condon's deep-voiced crooner vocals, swaying to the Eastern European beats that sound like they're being brought to you by a 12-member ensemble.
In this teenager's New Mexico bedroom, Zach Condon recorded "Gulag Orkestar" shortly after quitting college, with some help from local musicians Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost (A Hawk and a Hacksaw). For him, it was nothing new, having recorded hundreds of songs since he was fifteen the same way. This time, however, a flood of attention followed, as online raves lead to reverential fandom, international acclaim, and a tsunami of interviews, photoshoots and features, as Condon and his newly formed band traveled to Russia, Poland, Turkey and throughout North America and Europe. Astonishingly, he proved himself as talented a bandleader as composer. New songs were written, album songs reworked, and the band's shows quickly developed to dramatic heights far beyond its mere months-long existence. Summer 2011 saw the release of "The Rip Tide" on Condon's own Pompeii Label, Beirut's first proper LP since "The Flying Club Cup." Written in isolation during a snowy upstate winter, the album marked a stark change in emotional direction, that is to say, inward. Reflecting less on the travels and travails borne of the wanderlust struck musician, instead, "The Rip Tide" has crystallized the sounds of Beirut's past into a cohesive and remarkable whole, all while maintaining the unmistakable aesthetic that has brought them around the world, and home again.
show less
Horns, violins, cellos, ukuleles, mandolins, glockenspiels, drums, tambourines, congas, organs, pianos, clarinets and accordions all build and break the melodies under Condon's deep-voiced crooner vocals, swaying to the Eastern European beats that sound like they're being brought to you by a 12-member ensemble.
In this teenager's New Mexico bedroom, Zach Condon recorded "Gulag Orkestar" shortly after quitting college, with some help from local musicians Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost (A Hawk and a Hacksaw). For him, it was nothing new, having recorded hundreds of songs since he was fifteen the same way. This time, however, a flood of attention followed, as online raves lead to reverential fandom, international acclaim, and a tsunami of interviews, photoshoots and features, as Condon and his newly formed band traveled to Russia, Poland, Turkey and throughout North America and Europe. Astonishingly, he proved himself as talented a bandleader as composer. New songs were written, album songs reworked, and the band's shows quickly developed to dramatic heights far beyond its mere months-long existence. Summer 2011 saw the release of "The Rip Tide" on Condon's own Pompeii Label, Beirut's first proper LP since "The Flying Club Cup." Written in isolation during a snowy upstate winter, the album marked a stark change in emotional direction, that is to say, inward. Reflecting less on the travels and travails borne of the wanderlust struck musician, instead, "The Rip Tide" has crystallized the sounds of Beirut's past into a cohesive and remarkable whole, all while maintaining the unmistakable aesthetic that has brought them around the world, and home again.
While it may sound like an entire Balkan orchestra plays these modern songs, mournful ballads and upbeat marches, Beirut is largely the work of Albuquerque native, Zach Condon.
Horns, violins, cellos, ukuleles, mandolins, glockenspiels, drums, tambourines, congas, organs, pianos, clarinets and accordions all build and break the melodies under Condon's deep-voiced crooner vocals, swaying to the Eastern European beats that sound like they're being brought to you by a 12-member ensemble.
In this teenager's New Mexico bedroom, Zach Condon recorded "Gulag Orkestar" shortly after quitting college, with some help from local musicians Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost (A Hawk and a Hacksaw). For him, it was nothing new, having recorded hundreds of songs since he was fifteen the same way. This time, however, a flood of attention followed, as online raves lead to reverential fandom, international acclaim, and a tsunami of interviews, photoshoots and features, as Condon and his newly formed band traveled to Russia, Poland, Turkey and throughout North America and Europe. Astonishingly, he proved himself as talented a bandleader as composer. New songs were written, album songs reworked, and the band's shows quickly developed to dramatic heights far beyond its mere months-long existence. Summer 2011 saw the release of "The Rip Tide" on Condon's own Pompeii Label, Beirut's first proper LP since "The Flying Club Cup." Written in isolation during a snowy upstate winter, the album marked a stark change in emotional direction, that is to say, inward. Reflecting less on the travels and travails borne of the wanderlust struck musician, instead, "The Rip Tide" has crystallized the sounds of Beirut's past into a cohesive and remarkable whole, all while maintaining the unmistakable aesthetic that has brought them around the world, and home again.
read more
Horns, violins, cellos, ukuleles, mandolins, glockenspiels, drums, tambourines, congas, organs, pianos, clarinets and accordions all build and break the melodies under Condon's deep-voiced crooner vocals, swaying to the Eastern European beats that sound like they're being brought to you by a 12-member ensemble.
In this teenager's New Mexico bedroom, Zach Condon recorded "Gulag Orkestar" shortly after quitting college, with some help from local musicians Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost (A Hawk and a Hacksaw). For him, it was nothing new, having recorded hundreds of songs since he was fifteen the same way. This time, however, a flood of attention followed, as online raves lead to reverential fandom, international acclaim, and a tsunami of interviews, photoshoots and features, as Condon and his newly formed band traveled to Russia, Poland, Turkey and throughout North America and Europe. Astonishingly, he proved himself as talented a bandleader as composer. New songs were written, album songs reworked, and the band's shows quickly developed to dramatic heights far beyond its mere months-long existence. Summer 2011 saw the release of "The Rip Tide" on Condon's own Pompeii Label, Beirut's first proper LP since "The Flying Club Cup." Written in isolation during a snowy upstate winter, the album marked a stark change in emotional direction, that is to say, inward. Reflecting less on the travels and travails borne of the wanderlust struck musician, instead, "The Rip Tide" has crystallized the sounds of Beirut's past into a cohesive and remarkable whole, all while maintaining the unmistakable aesthetic that has brought them around the world, and home again.
show less
Date/Times:
Greek Theatre
23 Upcoming Events
2001 Gayley Road, Berkeley, CA 94704
The Best Events
Every Week in Your Inbox
From Our Sponsors
UPCOMING EVENTS
Great suggestion! We'll be in touch.
Event reviewed successfully.