concert
scott called me up and invited me to go to a show.
saw three amazing bands.
lucky to have had the chance.
the new york gypsy all-stars need a new name. i don't care if they're riffing off the new orleans klezmer all-stars, it's time to stop joking around. a nice, thick, forward-thinking take on eastern-european folk musics. serious virtuosity was displayed by the clarinetist, backed by a scarcely less virtuosic bassist, player-of-a-plucked-string-instrument-whose-name-i-don't-even-know, and two percussionists (one hand drums, one drum trap). a lovely start to the evening.
they were followed by balkan beatbox, a heavily reggae and hip-hop influenced version of gyspy and eastern-european music. heavily charismatic, the lead vocalist had half the audience on their feet from their marching-in-the-aisle debut. the lead singer and the sequence programmer both played the drums, accompanied by two beautifully raw saxaphones and a bell-bottomed-suit-and-fedora-wearing fretboard-tearing-up guitarist. the clarinetist from the new york gypsy all-stars sat in. ismail something. by the end of the set i was covered in sweat. futuristic and retro in the best way.
the payoff was beirut, a band billed to me as eastern-european-influenced pop. well, it was pop-y, but i didn't find it particularly eastern-european so much as french with a horn section. the lead singer was the ringmaster of the show, and i gather he is as far as the band goes as well. he sang, played flugel horn, trumpet and ukelele. there was a bassist who played piano, a trumpeter who played baritone horn and french horn and mandolin and ukelele and baritone saxiphone, a mad scientist playing drums, a very strong accordionist, and a violinist who picked up a melodica for the encore. felt very much like a post-radiohead, post-amelie acoustic pop rock. lots of songs in 3/4 time. not what i'd expected it would be, but nonetheless a beautiful and heartfelt take on songwriting, sharp orchestrations and fantastic performances. the cross breeze began to blow, the crowd came to their feet, we got an encore. good times.
also, natalie portman was there. couple rows ahead of me. i stared a little.
saw three amazing bands.
lucky to have had the chance.
the new york gypsy all-stars need a new name. i don't care if they're riffing off the new orleans klezmer all-stars, it's time to stop joking around. a nice, thick, forward-thinking take on eastern-european folk musics. serious virtuosity was displayed by the clarinetist, backed by a scarcely less virtuosic bassist, player-of-a-plucked-string-instrument-whose-name-i-don't-even-know, and two percussionists (one hand drums, one drum trap). a lovely start to the evening.
they were followed by balkan beatbox, a heavily reggae and hip-hop influenced version of gyspy and eastern-european music. heavily charismatic, the lead vocalist had half the audience on their feet from their marching-in-the-aisle debut. the lead singer and the sequence programmer both played the drums, accompanied by two beautifully raw saxaphones and a bell-bottomed-suit-and-fedora-wearing fretboard-tearing-up guitarist. the clarinetist from the new york gypsy all-stars sat in. ismail something. by the end of the set i was covered in sweat. futuristic and retro in the best way.
the payoff was beirut, a band billed to me as eastern-european-influenced pop. well, it was pop-y, but i didn't find it particularly eastern-european so much as french with a horn section. the lead singer was the ringmaster of the show, and i gather he is as far as the band goes as well. he sang, played flugel horn, trumpet and ukelele. there was a bassist who played piano, a trumpeter who played baritone horn and french horn and mandolin and ukelele and baritone saxiphone, a mad scientist playing drums, a very strong accordionist, and a violinist who picked up a melodica for the encore. felt very much like a post-radiohead, post-amelie acoustic pop rock. lots of songs in 3/4 time. not what i'd expected it would be, but nonetheless a beautiful and heartfelt take on songwriting, sharp orchestrations and fantastic performances. the cross breeze began to blow, the crowd came to their feet, we got an encore. good times.
also, natalie portman was there. couple rows ahead of me. i stared a little.