Beirut comes to The Capitol Theatre on Monday, August 1 and we couldn't be more excited to witness their indie-rock and world-music masterpieces. Featuring a diverse array of instruments such as a glockenspiel, mandolin, melodica, and a flugelhorn, Beirut pushes musical boundaries with their extensive inventory of equipment. Watch these videos to learn more about the band’s interesting choice of instruments and how they combine their talents into one amazing sound. Make sure you buy your tickets soon because this show will be literally out of this world!

Glockenspiel

The glockenspiel originates from Germany and is very similar to a xylophone. It originally was structured with bells, but the steel bars replaced them in the 17th century, which made it a more popular instrument. You can hear the Glockenspiel in Beirut’s songs “Vagabond” and “In the Mausoleum” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OloCKcpiXI

Mandolin

A mandolin is an instrument evolved from a lute. When playing, the left hand (or non-dominant hand) will fret the individual chords, while the right hand (or dominant hand) will pluck the strings as you play notes. It usually has 8 strings and originates from 17th century Italy. The mandolin was extremely common during the Renaissance and you can hear the mandolin in Beirut;s song “Postcards from Italy” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X61BVv6pLtw

Melodica

A melodica is very similar to a harmonica. It has keys like a piano, but a mouthpiece that must be blown into in order to create sound. The most common version of the melodica that we see today was created in Germany in 1950 by a company named Hohner. However, other versions of the instrument have existed since 19th century Italy. You can hear the melodica in Beirut’s song “Scenic World” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNPF3wLvuJE

Flugelhorn

Originating in Germany, the flugelhorn is a cousin of the trumpet and is a brass and wind instrument. It is often used in jazz and pop music. The flugelhorn was created in the 19th century by Adlolphe Sax. You can hear the flugelhorn in Beiruts song “Elephant Gun” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNH6o_GJjWI