When in Beirut ...

By Sarah Dahnke in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 4, 2007 4:16PM

Are you going to see Beirut at the Portage Theater tonight? You should be. The former movie house is hosting one of this beloved indie-folk band's few American tour dates, and the combination of 1920s movie palace splendor and whimsical orchestration may be enough to make your heart explode. (Think of that feeling you have when you look at a photo of a puppy and multiply it by 10.)

Beirut's newest album, The Flying Club Cup, comes out Oct. 9 and is a delicious mix of ukuleles, mandolins, trumpets, keyboards, violins and a few other instruments that perfectly compliment singer Zach Condon's low, milky voice. Tonight Chicago will get a sneak peak at many of these new songs, and they'll likely leave the audience breathless.

Arcade Fire, Decemberists, Iron and Wine, Magnetic Fields fans: This show is for you. Tickets are no longer available online, but you can buy them at the door.

Beirut plays at the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee, tonight at 8 p.m. Colleen and Alaska and Winter open.

Photo via Beirut's Myspace page.