ALKHOBAR: Jeddah-based indie band Strangers performed at Alkhobar’s Bohemia Art Cafe and Records on Friday night, bringing their west-coast cool to the chill east -coast space.
“You are the house of indie music in Saudi Arabia,” guitarist Mostafa Fahmi told the full house at the start of their set. “We’ve been wanting to come here for a while, and it’s only befitting that we’re here as our first gig outside of my hometown, Jeddah.”
Image of Arkan of Arkan Blues Experience. (Photo/Hussam Algallaf)
Fahmi was joined by Zaid Faouri on drums, Sultan Al-Ghamdi on bass and Qusai Asaad on guitar.
Wesam Al-Bassam, Bohemia’s creative director and brand manager, told Arab News that she has been trying to book Strangers for some time.
It’s really good to play in my hometown because it just feels like home — especially playing around your friends and family, around ‘your people.’
Arkan, Saudi musician
“I knew Qusai through Instagram. I saw him playing with his friends back in maybe 2019 or 2020 and I texted him, asking him, ‘Hey, do you want to perform at Bohemia?’ He was, like, ‘We don’t really have any material yet, we’re still finding our voice.’”
Five years on, Asaad and his band finally took to Bohemia’s stage.
Image of Strangers during sound check. (AN photo)
Local act Arkan Blues Experience, led by Arkan, who prefers to go by his first name, opened the show.
“Every time we go on stage, there are different people coming and going,” he told Arab News before his performance. “So, for tonight’s show, I will be doing the lead guitar and vocals, Ibrahem on drums, Mansour on the rhythm guitar, Abdulaziz on bass. And I have two special guests: Ian on keyboard and Mohammed on saxophone.
“It’s really good to play in my hometown because it just feels like home — especially playing around your friends and family, around ‘your people’,” he added. “Bohemia is actually where it all started. The (local) music community got started in Bohemia.”
Arkan cited local music veteran Nader Al-Fassam — lead guitarist with the psychedelic punk band Sound of Ruby, who has been part of Alkhobar’s underground music scene since the Nineties and was also present on Friday — as one of his biggest inspirations.
Asaad paid homage by stealthily changing into a Sound of Ruby t-shirt before his band’s set.
After their show, Strangers posted on social media: “Thank you, Sharqiya. You’re lucky to have Bohemia. Let’s play the next one soon.”
