Mashrou' Leila. Photo by Leva Saudargaite
As we make our way through the United States on this tour for Ibn El Leil, which translates to "Son of the Night," our fourth album, we wanted to share some of our more personal experiences. The North American tour began with a sold out concert at the Music Hall of Williamsburg at the end of May, and we've played in major cities like Chicago, Boston, and Washington, D.C. since.
Now we're on the West Coast for a few concerts and then Mashrou' Leila is headed back to New York City, to be followed by Canada. We try to take it all in -- each city has its own vibe, flavor, and energy, and our experiences have been as varied.
Tour Notes -- Ibrahim Badr, bass guitarist:
Going through customs at JFK airport is always a pain. The line is always too long, too crowded, and things are a little chaotic. This time was particularly bad.
I finally got to the custom officer's desk and handed him my passport. He swiped it into his machine and started looking up my background information.
He spotted a man in the queue behind me talking on his cell phone, despite the very large sign that said that it was not allowed. The customs officer shouted at him, asking him to put down his phone. The man didn't notice. The officer then shouted again -- the man stared back with a puzzled look. He clearly did not speak English.
The officer looked at me and said, "When Donald Drumpf becomes president all these problems will go away," and pointed to the huge line of people. Not sure how to reply, I assumed he was joking and replied with a short laugh.
The officer spoke again: "You're laughing, but it's the truth. What, you think I am going to vote for Hillary?" He handed me back my passport and finished, "Oh, and you're good to go." I politely said thank you and quickly walked away. I know from experience it is always better to keep conversations with U.S. customs as short as possible.
While waiting for my suitcase at the baggage carousel, I couldn't help but think through what just happened. I naively imagined Drumpf supporters to be crazy racists. This man seemed normal, but then again, what was he hoping Drumpf would do? Come and manage the airport personally? Or stop all the tourists from coming to New York?
Photo courtesy of Mashrou' Leila
Tour Notes -- Firas Abou Fakher, guitarist and keyboardist:
It's usually around 1 a.m. after a show that we hear the first silence of the day. Cases have been re-filled with instruments and harsh house lights hammer the hall with a bright white, sanitizing all the powerful energy of the roaring crowd a few hours ago.
But it's mainly that our ears stop ringing around 1 a.m. And on this night, we're in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, our first stop on a month-long tour. Interviews and soundcheck and jet lag mean that the day has been especially long. Our tour manager speaks from a corner, lobby call times, and planes, and trains, and from the red leather couch in the upstairs hall I see some posters hanging on the wall: LCD Soundsystem, James Blake, Metronomy, Arctic Monkeys, Chairlift, The National, Bon Iver, Sanitgold, and more, more, more.
On the left, on a small board, a piece of paper reads "Mashrou' Leila -- Live at the Music Hall of Williamsburg" and with diagonal red letters "Sold Out." Not a bad place to start.
Photo courtesy of Mashrou' Leila
Tour Notes -- Carl Gerges, drummer:
When you approach the intersection of Lawrence and Broadway in Chicago, a large glittering neon sign with "Green Mill Cocktail Lounge" illuminates the street in a green glow. A quarter-century ago, the Mill was a notorious shooting gallery where drug addicts collapsed in the booths and various forms of vice unfolded in the dilapidated, shoe-box-shaped room.
We played our show in New York and just arrived to Chicago. It has only been one show out of fifteen, but I'm in a very strange state -- a mixture of jetlag and fatigue. I cross the green, illuminated intersection and get in the Mill.
The front of the Mill features a bar lining the left side of the room, curving around the corner, and capped off by a retro jukebox. Near the curve of the bar is the booth once preferred by Al Capone. (With a view of the main and side exits, it allowed him to keep a watchful eye on both doors.) There are several green velvet-upholstered booths around the bar area and more seating near the stage, but the space is intimate and fills up quickly. When that happens, live jazz music floods the vintage smelling air, and the dance-floor gets filled with strangely dressed people. This place seems to be frozen in the 1940s. I try to dance, but I'm too tired, everything seems blurry and glittery, I hold on tight to my drink, scramble for a seat and fall asleep while Ibrahim passes out on the floor...
Photo courtesy of Mashrou' Leila
Mashrou' Leila will be touring in the Untied States with their album Ibn El Leil through June 25. San Diego/ June 20, New York City/ June 24 & 25. For more information visit their website.