Beirut — Soirée de Poche (La Blogothèque), 2016

As part of La Blogothèque’s Soirées de Poche — the French pioneer of the filmed concert since its Take Away Shows — Beirut delivered a live performance of rare delicacy in 2016. Zach Condon’s project, known for blending indie folk with Balkan music, appears here in an acoustic configuration where trumpet, ukulele and brass weave miniature orchestral arrangements. Shot in La Blogothèque’s signature hushed aesthetic, the capture conveys the warmth of Condon’s baritone voice and the emotional sweep of his compositions. This filmed live set foregrounds the folk and world dimension of Beirut, halfway between literate songwriting and the melancholy fanfare inherited from his European travels. The close-miked recording and intimate staging bring out every instrumental detail, far from large venues. A precious document for lovers of orchestral folk and carefully crafted captures, recorded in Paris in 2016 by one of the defining institutions of the filmed-concert format, La Blogothèque.