With a sound that is both worldly and otherworldly, Beirut plays mournfully, with Balkan, Mexican, and Italian brass band influences, incorporating a myriad of horn instruments such as the trumpet, trombone, and flugelhorn, on top of numerous others. In fact, there were no fewer than five instruments played at a time, including drums, keyboards, and the glockenspiel.

"Beirut makes you nostalgic for a time that never really belonged to you... generating the feeling of missing something without necessarily knowing what it is."

Beirut released their sixth studio album Gallipoli on February 1, nearly four years after the release of their 2015 No No No. The latest album returns to the early days of the mournful and worldly tones of The Flying Club Cup and Gulag Orkestrar. Fans who weren’t impressed with the deviation from the international sounds in the aforementioned album should be more than pleased with this rediscovered balance of modern indie-pop and traditional instrumentation. It’s deeply emotional and nostalgic, with tracks that make the most of both lavish and minimalist horn patterns.

Beirut’s set was all about the music. No fancy backdrops, outfits, or even choreographed dance moves or speeches embellished the evening. When an audience member shouted out, “happy birthday, Zach!” he jokingly replied, “thanks, I just turned 19.” He added that he typically sits out Valentine’s Day in favor of his birthday, which falls on the day before. However, aside from addressing the birthday wishes and audibly appreciating DC’s excellent Ethiopian cuisine, Condon muttered “thank you” after “thank you,” unable to string together more than those words. Addressing it, he said, “On nights like these I feel like I should say something, but there’s just flies buzzing up there.”