Addicted to Les Concerts à Emporter
Early in 2006, a Frenchman by the name of Mathiew Saura (aka Vincent Moon) hit the streets of Paris with The Spinto Band and recorded a mini-documentary performance in an apartment and a restaurant. He called these glimpses into the psyche of bands Take Away Shows (Les Concerts à Emporter), and since that evening he has gone on to film over 100 more Take Away Shows, and has been involved with several feature-length documentaries, one of them centered around the band Beirut, entitled Cheap Magic Inside.
What is so great about these shows is that you get a different look at musicians you love, as well as exposure to new bands you may never have heard of. Most of these shows are set in Paris, France (though other directors have gotten involved around the world), and use ingenius ways of presenting the songs to us. Whether we’re following Andrew Bird down the street as he whistles and sings amidst passerby, or listening to St. Vincent confess her intimate thoughts in a lush crimson bedroom, the connection is always there.
One of my favorite shows is Yeasayer’s voyage through the underbelly of Paris’ subways, singing acapella until they arrive in a 5th floor flat and find an old piano along with several willing listeners. I also enjoyed following Zach Condon down the streets with his ukelale, until he surprises us all by wandering into a restaurant where the rest of his band awaits to continue his song in epic fashion. Arcade Fire has an awesome setting in the bowels of some old building, with a megaphone and hundreds of fans crowded around them like a swarm of ants.
View the Shows.
Here are a few noteworthy shows, but please check out all of them.
