Beirut w/ the Dodos @ the Phoenix - July 9. 2009.

To give you an idea of my general impression of the show last night, I changed my facebook/twitter status to this last night: Beirut (the band) = impressive, people @ Beirut (the band)... less than impressive...

So, Mr. G and I bought tickets to the show ages ago - at least a couple of months ago - and, of course, I completely forgot that we had them, so when he texted me on Monday to ask when he thought we should leave I said "For what?". But, after he explained, I got excited since I think Beirut is terrific (and is responsible for one of my favourite albums of the 00s, Gulag Orkestar), and it felt like it was free (since we paid so long ago). I got even more excited when Mr. G informed me that the Dodos were opening.

Some thoughts, point form, on the Dodos & the Dodos' set:

• I feel like their last album, Visiter, had a lot of really great moments (songs) but was probably a little too "jammy" in spots.
  
• Their live performance, which, somehow, included only three dudes (or Dodos) was surprisingly dynamic considering there were only three of them. The percussion - a drum kit, and sometimes a cymballist(?) - was pretty spectacular, and somehow reminiscent of one my favourite Ottawan bands, The Acorn.
  
• The lead singer, who's name I'm not going to pretend to know, was really on point with his vocals. Also, he looks a shock amount like Joseph Gordon-Levitt (the kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun).
• The sum total of these points is that I will be, in all likelihood, paying attention to the next Dodos release Time to Die (Aug. 31 - UK, Sept. 15 - US) - or, as Mr. G pointed out, available now via the internet.
  

And Beirut:

• The show made me remember on the way home that my first blog post ever was on Beirut's Flying Cup Club videos (note: these may be some of the first Blogotheque videos) and they are outstanding.
• Mr. G comments to me almost immediately after Zach Condon + band walk on stage... "this is the nerdiest band I have ever seen", and I reply "what do you think the odds are that any one of these guys ever got laid before they were in this band?"
• Despite their general nerdiness, the band sounds insanely, insanely, good. They are incredibly tight, and I'm shocked at how the horns 'popped' and sounded so clean, crisp (I think they really stand out in the audio - below)... the live show is definitely a step up from their recorded material, which, after hearing The Flying Club Cup and March of the Zapotec stuff live, I don't think I've been giving it enough love...
  
• As good as the band was, and they were excellent, I have a few suggestions for Beirut fans and concert goers in general. It is not okay, at least in my books, to: A/ cut in front of someone in a general admission venue and stop so close in front of them that you brush against them ever time you move resulting in - what appears to be some type of dry-hump, b/c of their head-bob-hip-thrust movement to the music; B/ raise your fist like you are Tommie Smith or Juan Carlos at the '68 Olympics in Mexico; C/ risk giving a concussion to those around you everytime you decide to do a extremely douchey kid street clap.... maybe I'm just getting old (I'm not that old) and crabby...
  
• Those videos - the Blogotheque ones - are really, really, spectacular and well worth watching; in fact, I'm ordering the DVD right now...
  

From the show:
[mp3] The Dodos - Unknown #1 (live @ the Phoenix)
[mp3] The Dodos - Unknown #2(live @ the Phoenix)

[mp3] Beirut - Scenic World (live @ the Phoenix)
[mp3] Beirut - After the Curtain (live @ the Phoenix)

... I've got a few more more Beirut songs for anyone interested can send me an email...

The Dodos




Beirut