Lana Del Rey @ Byblos International Festival 2013

Yesterday was the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. It was also the first day of my TQM summer class at school. It was also the long awaited night of Lana Del Rey in Lebanon for the very first time! I barely had time to breathe yesterday, running from work to school and then off to Jbeil on an empty stomach. But wow oh wow, what a night!

I've always had a soft spot for Jbeil. The old souks, the beautifully cobbled streets and sidewalks, the vibrant night life, just walking through it is magic…

The opening act was for The Wanton Bishops, a local Lebanese band which I really wanted to like but it just wasn't music to my ears. There was then about an hour interlude, but from the moment she came on stage, till the moment she said goodnight, it was the most brilliant I've ever seen of Lana Del Rey. Her electrifying voice, her down-to-earth personality, being with my friends, the night… it was perfect!  Here's the recording I took for Blue Jeans, the song that introduced me to her and my favourite song of her's since:

ATM, I can't help but wonder what performance I'll be looking forward to at next year's festival… Thank You Byblos & Good Night! :-)

Tickets to Lana Del Rey @ Byblos International Festival 2013

"Video Games". It was her debut single, her claim to fame. It was the first song I heard and fell in love with for her. Swinging in the backyard, pull up in your fast car, whistling my name...

Throughout the year, I got introduced to more of her music and I especially loved "Born To Die", "Blue Jeans", "Summertime Sadness", and most lately, "Young and Beautiful". Lana Del Rey has definitely made it to the list of my top artists of all time. And, I still can't believe my eyes, she's coming to Lebanon's Byblos International Festival on July 10th, 2013! 

I remember my first Byblos International Festival in 2010, I went with Toastmasters to see the famous local Lebanese Band Mashrou3 Leila. Two years later in 2012, I went with my brother and cousins to see Snow Patrol (a band that I am absolutely in love with, and what a was a perfect night it was!). And now, just when I thought I'd seen the best, Byblos International Festival outdoes themselves again and brings Lana Del Rey (along with a brilliant lineup you can see here!) 

I know I'm a few weeks late in writing this post, but thank my lucky stars I'm not late in getting tickets (for me and two of my very best friends)! The very moment I found out she was coming, I booked! The only difference between this year and last year is that this year I decided to go seated because standing kills! And I'm too old to be standing these days! :-P Ahhh, and as of this moment, exactly one month remains till Lana lands in Lebanon! Can't Wait!

Till then, I leave you with one of her lesser known, but more upbeat songs (which happens to be my song of the week), PARIS:

Snow Patrol @ Byblos International Festival 2012

Ever since I read the lineup to the Byblos International Festival, and read that Snow Patrol were going to be performing, my jaw literally dropped! See, there are a lot of artists and bands that are good, and that I like, but ever since I first heard of Snow Patrol back in 2006, with their hit song “Chasing Cars” and their fourth album “Eyes Open”, I fell in deep love with them…

Of course I became addicted to them after that, with their fifth album “A Hundred Million Suns” and sixth album “Fallen Empires”. But I guess the year in which I’ve loved them the most was in 2008, when I got stuck on the not-so-popular song “Finish Line”, especially the lyrics in which they sing: “I think the finish line’s a good place we could start…”

So on June 6^th, amid the chaos in Tripoli, I went out to buy the tickets for me, my brother, and two cousins. I got standing because I wanted to be closer to the band. And though I've made a mental note not to ever go standing again, it was absolutely worth it! They played all their famous hits and I sang along to every single song. I also felt really smug knowing all the lyrics, especially when some of the audience didn’t know how to sing along :-)

And oh, how I loved the lead singer, Gary Lightbody. He was just so full of energy, smiling and sincere. “God Bless Your Hearts,” he said to us, he really made me melt…

I took videos of the night as well, here's one of my favorite songs for them: New York:

"If you were here beside me, instead of in Byblos..." he sang ;-)

As you can tell, I’m still not over how absolutely incredible it was! Thank You Snow Patrol, Thank You Byblos… I love this city tonight, I love this city always, it bears its teeth like a light and spits me out after days… X

Jbeil Revisited

Last night, I got the chance of going to Jbeil again. This time, with my parents, brother, aunts, uncle, and cousins. I also got to show them around Jbeil since I had memorized it from my last visit about three weeks ago. We happened to arrive there around sunset so I of course rushed them all to the port to watch the beautiful sun set. Seriously, where else are you guaranteed a view like this?

We later had dinner at Locanda, as both Danielle and my brother (since when does my brother know around Jbeil?!) had previously recommended. It’s located in the middle of the old souk, facing the main castle. And its scrumptious! :-)

Walk In The Sun

As of last night, Jbeil has officially become my most favorite city (I’ve been to) in Lebanon. There have been people after people, family after family, friends after friends, all telling me how beautiful Jbeil is. And I seriously can’t believe its taken me 22 years to see it! The souks, the paths, the coast, the people, they’re all different than the ones (I already think are beautiful) in Tripoli. Even the sunset is more brilliant than any other I’ve seen:

That night, we had actually gone to see a local Lebanese Band called Mashrou3 Leila play at The Byblos Festival [Read The Daily Star's Article >> Here <<]. The Band, which was originally formed in AUB from AUB students, is composed of seven members: Hamed Sinno, Ibrahim Badr, Carl Gerges, Haig Papazian, Omaya Malaeb, Andre Chedid, and Firas Abou Fakher. I actually knew two of the members, Hamed and Andre, from college but I doubt either of them remember me. Their music is an interesting blend of Arabic and English pop/rock. [Download Mashrou3 Leila's Album >> Here <<] But to tell the truth, I’m not a fan of their music, though I went for the support and for Jbeil.

I also bumped into Shankaboot’s Suleiman and Chadi, it was a good night :-)