SF Indie Music Meetup #1 - Beirut @ The Grand Ballroom

MEETUP LOCATION/INFO HAS BEEN EMAILED TO THOSE WHO HAVE RSVP'D "YES" AND WHO HAVE TICKETS. IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON GOING AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS EMAIL, LET ME KNOW.

SOLD OUT the last time I checked on May 2, but sometimes ticketmaster releases a new batch, so you can try later. Otherwise, you will have to resort to more creative ways in getting a ticket if you are interested in this show...

Join us to see Beirut at The Grand Ballroom at The Regency Center on Tuesday May 27. Get tickets at Ticketmaster - $30 + service fees. Get general admission (main floor) tickets while you can. After that, only general admission (balcony) will be available. We will meet prior to the show to get acquainted - specifics to be announced to those who rsvp.

Said of their 2006 debut:

Beirut's brilliant debut album is full of grandeur and intimacy, with accordions, ukuleles and brass instruments complementing contemporary notions like drum machines and digestible song structures while simultaneously channeling the ancient appeal of Balkan folk music. On top of all this, or perhaps below, is Condon's voice; the sullen croon lends a gravity to these songs that blows through each churning waltz and march like a gust across the Danube. (dustedmagazine, 2006)

Time and again, the most powerful element of Gulag Orkestar, and what ought to be emphasized, is Condon's acrobatic, powerful, emotionally nuanced voice. It could carry any style of music. Fixate for a second on the stuff he's doing on "Rhineland (Heartland)". The lyrics are dopey, but his trills and whirls are mind-blowing. Pairing these melodies with Eastern European accouterments in lieu of standard guitar-pop creates an obvious appeal. Still, the question ought to be asked: Are the songs really so incredible or do they simply mimic and mine musical traditions unfamiliar to the average indie rock fan? That said, the best songs here are a joy and the average and ho-hum tunes even have a thick and aesthetically appealing atmosphere-- in other words, it's an impressive and precocious debut. (pitchforkmedia, 2006)