BEIRUT'S HOMECOMING

I was too busy blogging about late-breaking election stuff last night so I forgot to grab my camera before going to the Santa Fe Brewing Company. So I have to use this old photo I took from last time I saw Beirut, back in 2006.

But seeing Beirut was a perfect way to spend the night before the election. (I ran into a couple of other news dogs there doing the same thing.)

That's the most crowded I've ever seen the Brewing Company. They actually wee turning people away at the door. The show, fortunately, was on the outside stage.

Beirut, of course, is led by Zach Condon, who grew up here in Santa Fe (although some stupid national publications list his hometown as "Albuquerque" -- kind of like some of those Junior Brown bios I've seen that don't even mention New Mexico.) He didn't get well-known however until he moved to New York. There, inspired by Balkan brass bands he'd seen in his European travels and in movies by Emir Kusturica.

Last night's show wasn't nearly as intimate as the College of Santa Fe performance I saw back in 2006. At that earlier show the audience was just a fraction the size of the Bewing Company crowd. At CSF there wasn't a stage, so the band was at the same level of the audience and it was sometimes hard to tell where one started and the other ended.

Still, it's great to see how Beirut's audience has grown -- and how the sound has grown too. They've still got that Balkan spirit, but there's influences from all over the place. At one point Zach announced that his next song would be in Portugese. I thought it sounded familar, and sure enough it turns out to be a tune I first heard on David Byrne's first Luaka Bop Brazilian compilation Beleza Tropical -- Caetano Veloso's "O Leaozinho." Beirut does a fine version of it. (I found a YouTube version of it, recorded just a couple of weeks ago. Check it out below.) Last night's concert inspired me to listen to Beleze Tropical this morning. Now I realize there are several songs here that would sound good as Beirut covers.

And I was happy that Beirut still does a rousing version of Kocani Orkestar's “Siki, Siki Baba,” my favorite song from the Borat soundtrack.

Condon, on the Beirut Web site has said he's going to be making some changes with the basic concept of the band. (Maybe they'll go Hawaiian. They already have the ukes!) I hope he keeps most the current members. I'm amazed how they constantly swap instruments and how so many of them are proficient on so many instruments.

This is a great week for music at the Brewing Company. Laurell's going to sub for The Santa Fe Opry Friday night so I can see X and The Detroit Cobras.

NEW POLL: WILSON AND PEARCE NECK-TO-NECK

The new SurveyUSA poll shows U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce beating Rep. Heather Wilson by just one point in the Republican Senate primary.

Two weeks ago Pearce was leading by three points in the SurveyUSA poll. And the Albuquerque Journal poll, published on Sunday showed Pearce up by six points.

One big difference in the polls. As Brian Sanderoff has explained to me many times, automated polls like SurveyUSA tend to record fewer undecided votes because undecided voters tend to hang up early in the phone call. Indeed the latest SurveyUSA poll shows only 3 percent undecided, while the Journal poll (conducted by Sanderoff) showed 16 percent undecided.

SurveyUSA's poll has a 4.5 percent margin of error.

The new poll shows both Wilson 24 percent behind Tom Udall while Pearce is 25 percent behind Democrat UDall.

SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE FAMILY

Let's indulge in a little political tea-leaf reading here.

This afternoon there was a news release from the Ben Ray Lujan campaign announcing an election night "celebration" at Hotel Santa Fe.

About the same time, Don Wiviott's campaigns e-mailed a release saying Wiviott's election night plans consisted of "private time with family.” Later there was an e-mail that Wiviott would make himself available to reporters after the results were announced. (Hate to be a cynic here, but in New Mexico that might mean three weeks from now -- though I don't think Wiviott meant that.)

Both these guys have hired consultants who do polling for them.

Not making any predictions here, but which one sounds like he might think he's going to win?

R.I.P. BO DIDDLEY

He was the coolest.

Here's his Pitchfork obit.

As I noted about a year ago when Bo had his stroke, this photo was taken back in 1985 by Barbaraellen Koch in the lobby of the mayor's office in Santa Fe. Mayor Louis Montano made him an honorary Santa Fean. I interviewed Bo for the Albuquerque Journal to preview a show at Club West. We talked about his years in the state during the 1970s. For awhile he was a member of the Valencia County Sheriff's Reserves and actually arrested a drunk driver, who, Deputy Diddley said, had mouthed off to him.

Tune in Terrell's Sound World Sunday for a decent tribute.

Enjoy some YouTubes below.

THAT'S A LOT OF CINNAMON ROLLS!

Here's some genuine Campaign 2008 trivia:

Joe Monahan today notes that Steve Pearce was campaigning Sunday at one of my old student ghetto haunts, The Frontier Restaurant in Albuquerque.

Joe notes that despite being in "the heart of liberalism," The Frontier is own by Republicans.

That's true. But they're Republicans who, according to Open Secrets.org, are among Heather Wilson's top contributors. People who list The Frontier as their employer have kicked in $9,200 to Wilson's Senate campaign, making the restaurant one of her top five sources of campaign money.

XXXXXX

Here's a link to the Sunday story by Kate Nash and me, whuich tried to sum up the CD 3 and U.S. Senate races: CLICK HERE

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, June 1, 2008
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
Webcasting!
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Human Being by The New York Dolls
Treat Her Right by Los Straitjackets with Mark Lindsay
I'm in With the Out Crowd by Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs
QB by The Fuzzy Set
Espanto del Futuro by Man or Astroman?
James Bond Theme by John Zorn
Double-O-Bum by Gas Huffer
Mi Sangre Prisonera by Los Tigres del Norte
What's Behind the Mask? by The Cramps
Viva Del Santo by Southern Culture on the Skids

Boss Dance by Jerry Cole & His Spacemen
Scalped by Dick Dale
Hey Sugarfoot by The Astronauts
Swamp Witch by Deadbolt
Bad Girl by Detroit Cobras
Dick Shake by Juke Joint Pimps
Shake Your Hips by Slim Harpo
Polka Chicana by Eddie Dimas

Thunderbird by The Casual-Aires
Johnny's Jive by Johnny Little John & Guitar
Hey Girl by John & Jackie
Cold Slaw by Tommy Smith Jr. Trio
Cave Man Love by Spaceman & The Rockets
Peter Gun Twist by The Jesters
Pretty Lord Sundance Part 1 by Lord Sundance
Topless A Go Go by The Rockets Combo
Take it Off by The Genteels
Kaput by Sam & The Saxtones
The Jungle by Diablito
Drunken Guitar by The Lushes

Clipped Wings by Dengue Fever
Biting Game by Sinn Sisamouth
Telephone Call from Istabul by The Red Elvises
Moonland by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Smooth Jazz by Evangelista
The Bunker by Beirut
I Just Want You to Hurt Like I Do by Randy Newman
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

KSFR: CHANGE YOUR CAR RADIO PRESETS

For the past several months KSFR has been simulcasting at both 90.7 FM and 101.1 FM. It looks like we'll be loosing 90.7 FM before the end of the month.

Here's the word from the Mgt at KSFR.

KSFR -- Santa Fe Public Radio's new permanent home is at 101.1 FM on the dial. In just a few weeks, you will no longer hear us on 90.7. We are now working to maximize the 101 signal before the change over, and hope to keep signal problems to a minimum at our new location. Change your car radio button now to 101.1. We want you to continue to enjoy YOUR Public Radio without interruption in the coming weeks.