VZ Magazine

Beirut has been on the road since the early summer in support of their recent release, The Rip Tide (Pompeii), including stops along the way to play the stages of The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. A six-piece band that has consistently honed their live show throughout their career, Beirut puts on an outstanding and assured performance and shows a singular act maturing both on record and in concert. Tonight, Wednesday, December 14th,NPR Music presents Beirut “Live In Concert” from Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club. As Beirut’s final show of 2011, without a doubt, they are as sharp as ever. The band hits the stage at 9:30 PM Eastern. Listen online at www.npr.org/music or on-the-go with the NPR Music iPhone app. And for those not able to stream the show live, the concert will be archived by NPR Music.

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LISTEN TO BEIRUT “LIVE IN CONCERT” ON NPR MUSIC HERE: http://www.npr.org/2011/12/13/143636141/live-wednesday-beirut-in-concert

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Additionally, Beirut will be performing live this Friday, December 16th on WNYC’s “Soundcheck.” The show begins at 2 PM Eastern, and Beirut will be on at 2:35 PM for a few songs and an interview with their host, John Schaefer. Listen to Beirut on WNYC’s Soundcheck here: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/soundcheck/.

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Joining Beirut leader Zach Condon (ukulele, trumpet, piano, vocals) is Perrin Cloutier (accordion, piano), Paul Collins (electric bass, upright bass), Ben Lanz(trombone, piano, tuba), Nick Petree (drums), and Kelly Pratt (trumpet, euphonium).

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“Still the worldly musical tour guide, [Condon] focuses his songwriting on The Rip Tide… While The Rip Tide continues Condon’s love affair with baroque instrumentation, flair-filled horn arrangements, cinematic strings and well-placed ukulele riffs, the album also benefits from its restraint, never veering into self-indulgence or over-instrumentation.” – NPR Music’s “50 Favorite Albums Of 2011″

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“sounding confidently assure in its identity—which unsurprisingly makes it Condon’s most immediately enjoyable record to date” – Paste (#20 in “The 50 Best Albums of 2011″)

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“The show confirmed how cohesive this group has become. And it showed how Mr. Condon has been growing into his singing…he sounded like someone who knew his bearings, and well.” – The New York Times

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“a collection of brief, charming melodies so effortless and intimate you’ll want to play them over and over again.” – TIME.com

VIA NPR: Interview by Bob Boilen