sometimes the best is at the beginning

Helmut.Is and Beirut, Columbiahalle, September 19, 2012

O fuck me it’s Wednesday.

I bought tickets to see Beirut back in May, and after obsessively listening to the latest album Riptide (see an earlier post that is laced with lots of hyperbole) it seemed perfectly reasonable to buy tickets to show five months in advance. However, let's just say prior to the show I was not feeling it, what with it being mid-week and all, and plus I believe Columbiahalle may be one of the worst venues in Berlin.  Saying the acoustics are better inside my oven may be an insult to my oven.  A sold out show at Columbiahalle is like a boat evacuation of a war torn land: everybody wants on and there is only so much space. However, yours truly is a brave little cadet and shoves all the workaday things aside to maybe go hear something transcendental that will make stepped on toes and arguing in German worth it.

Beirut

And...I will cover the headliner first because the pleasant surprise was the opener, Helmut.is.  So Beirut came and readily admitted they were ragged after lots of touring.  The wear and tear was definitely evident, while the playing was excellent (the lead is definitely a virtuoso, and they have three horn players AND an upright bass) the band seemed to lack energy and enthusiasm.  They treated us to many gems off the latest album, including "Santa Fe," "A Candle's Fire," and the wrist-slitter "Goshen."  The highlight was "East Harlem."  What this band needs to be appreciated for is how they incorporate Eastern European influences without descending into camp.  Beirut knows how to make horns sound plaintive and needy, the soundtrack to nostalgia.  Put this on when far from home, and when Zach Condon tells you there's "a thousand miles between us," you have permission to yearn.

And the special guest and pleasantly surprising opener was Helmut.is.  No, he's not from Iceland, he's from Berlin.  Taking the stage before the sweaty, antsy throng that is the Beirut crowd, with the requisite combed over bangs and facial hair, Helmut.is is the modern one man band. Sitting before a buffet of effects pedals, he starts by strumming a chord, then looping it back, snapping his fingers, and repeating that track, building up a song piece by piece.  Normally wary of tons of effects which can mask crap musicianship, I am here to tell you this is the real thing.  Let's call it the layer theory of song building.  Highly recommended the seven minute jam "sepi," which tells you to "stay put/to regain control."  Put this EP on when the sky is gray and close, and you can't decide if getting up is at all possible. The album will decide for you.

Helmut.is