Hundreds of electrified audience members materialize on the curved monitors that completely encircle the crowd. Their cheers resound at the sight of the live-feed projections of themselves, as Mashrou’ Leila prepares to take their customary selfie with the audience.
The live video feed was just one of a series of sophisticated 3-D video clips that accompanied the band’s performance at O1NE House of Entertainment Saturday night. The projections were created by visual designer Gabriel Ferneiné and ranged from an array of snippets from the band’s archive of music videos, to custom-made animations and excerpts from YouTube videos.
The performance marked the first time the band’s music was accompanied by a 360-degree view of 3-D projection mappings, which added a dramatic visual element to the group’s melodic performance.
Hordes of eager fans flocked to watch Mashrou’ Leila perform, forming a diverse audience of veteran fans as well as younger spectators.
As the five members made their way out on stage, amidst chanting from the impatient audience, there was a distinctly masculine energy to the group, a new flavor following the departure of their sole female band member Omaya Malaeb in September 2013.
On the heels of a tour throughout Europe, the band’s latest home turf performance was the first in a series of events that will constitute the transition of O1NE from a nightlife hub into an entertainment venue. With a colorful roster of performers lined up for this summer, including iconic underground Lebanese singer Yasmine Hamdan, the venue is attempting to make its mark as a new destination for live performance.
With a playlist as varied as the visuals, Mashrou’ Leila presented local fans with new material, as well as a selection of their more familiar hits.
Somewhere toward the middle of the show, the atmosphere became more intimate. The projections faded to black, aside from an occasional yellow flat line that momentarily swept across the screen. In keeping with the times, countless waving hands illuminated the venue with cellphones, rather than the customary lighters.
The sound of audience members whistling the melancholic melody of “Shim el Yasmine” filled the venue. The ballad is one of Mashrou’ Leila’s more poignant melodies discussing the pressure of societal constraints on a homosexual relationship.
The audience’s mood shifted in response to the video projections as well as the music. The crowd broke into laughter when footage of a viral YouTube video featuring men dressed in white thawbs dancing in a discernibly Khaliji style flooded the screens. Typewriters, nearly nude dancers, the old man in a tarboosh from the band’s “El Hal Romancy” album cover and sweeping shots of space and thousands of stars were simply a few of the additional graphics during the performance.
Mashrou’ Leila paired some of the songs with corresponding visuals from their music videos. During the single “Lil Watan,” tongue-in-cheek visuals of the same seductive belly dancer that appears in the band’s music video filled the surrounding screens. Amid these seemingly lighthearted graphics, the band’s rebellious nature shone through, the dancer’s performance serving as a satirical commentary on musical performances within the Arab world.
Other songs were accompanied by custom animations that complimented the music with metaphorical or literal imagery. The projections served an interactive purpose as well – as when the audience began to clap along to kitsch animated footage of clapping hands.
Never a group to shy away from controversy, the band chose to accompany their Arabic cover of the Britney Spears pop track “Toxic” with animations of a man snorting a line of white powder. Meanwhile, lead vocalist Hamed Sinno oscillated between sinuous gyrations and belting out lyrics that were as subversive as the accompanying animations.
The crowd pogoed with excitement as a laid back and assertive Sinno introduced their latest single “3 minutes.” Up-tempo synthesizers layered within the track presented a new dynamic to the band’s signature folk pop sound.
Ultimately, the concert debuted a new type of performance from the acclaimed indie pop band. Noticeably seasoned on stage, Mashrou’ Leila continues to experiment with creative ways of connecting with fans.
For more information concerning ON1E Entertainments’ future events, please visit www.o1nebeirut.com or call 70-939-191.
