Beirut @ New York Society for Ethical Culture

My friend Sandra and I caught the band Beirut perform as part of the Wordless Music Series on Monday night.  As Kelefa Sanneh writes in his review today, the auditorium at the NY Society for Ethical Culture perhaps isn’t the best venue for a makes-you-want-to-dance band like Beirut, but we had a blast nonetheless. 

Beirut is the brainchild of doll-faced 21-year-old Albuquerquean Zach Condon, who developed an obsession with Balkan brass bands as a teenager.  And his upcoming CD, “The Flying Club Cup” (Ba Da Bing!/4AD), explores, of all things, French music.  While Condon takes some vocal cues from Rufus Wainwright or maybe even Morrissey, his music is all about jangly ukuleles, accordians and a kick-butt horn section.  I’m not sure why an American making Balkan and French-inspired music calls his band Beirut (maybe he had Miss Teen USA’s geography teacher?!), but his music is wonderfully baffling and the live show is amazing.

Beirut are playing Central Park’s Delacorte Theatre tonight at 8:00.  The show’s officially sold out, but I wholeheartedly suggest you beg, plead, lie, cheat, steal, sell your body, whatever...get in to see this band!