Shows

I got lucky. With a trip booked overseas, and no chance to change plans, I gasped when I found out that one of my favorite groups, Thievery Corporation, would be in the state and playing at a venue I’d never been to. The only issue was the price, and while it was pricey, it really wasn’t an opportunity I was willing to pass up.

And I didn’t.

The venue, Red Butte Gardens, is located up on the mountainside, just adjacent to the campus of the University of Utah. It’s pretty spectacular, nestled into a canyon, making a great amphitheater. The stage was pretty cool, and the seating was grass. Oh, it was also BYOB and people were having a party!

The opener, Shana Halligan, was the lead vocalist for Bitter:Sweet, a group whose sound I was familiar with. They did a great opening 45 minutes or so, getting the crowd into it and doing an excellent job at it. Great performance and very talented live act. I’m not surprised that Thievery Corporation has them open.

The main act was an epic journey. It took a while, an eternity it felt, but the band did come out and we were treated to Thievery Corporation in a way few ever will; live and instrumental.

Any classic cut from the group you can think of was represented. Richest Man in Babylon, Lebanese Blonde, Sound the Alarm, etc… and with the vocalists we’ve all become accustomed to. Indeed, they even brought the very dynamic duo of See-I out to perform on at least a dozen tracks. To that end, the gifted Mr. Lif was brought along to perform the title track from their latest album, Culture of Fear. It was grand.

The talent on the stage was absolute. Percussion, guitar, bass, sitar, sampling, everything. I was simply fascinated, track after track, at the quality of the show. The audience knew these tracks and the energy was indeed filling the air, blending with the sound. The audience and band appreciated each other, and it built up to an incredible tempo.

Excellent show, and I’m so very pleased I was able to see the show and experience the vibe that Thievery Corporation brings. It was great to see Rob Garza, one of the two founding members, come out and introduce each and every member of the group, and the group introduce and embarrass him in turn.

Fantastic.

So the lads from Sub Swara, one of the cutting-edge electronic groups out of New York, are having a show at The Fillmore Theater in San Fransisco. It just so happens I’ll be there that day, and it just so happens they had some extra tickets. Guess who noticed this on Twitter?

Looking forward to a pretty epic show. Will report back!

Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t get an interview with anyone, but I was going to the show regardless. It seemed that Mount Kimbie and Beats Antique were playing together for the first time, having been involved in separate tours up to this point. I must admit that it’s a bit of an unusual pairing, but in fact, they have many similarities.

The Tailor opened, and wasn’t what I expected. Put a shy guy from Vancouver, BC, by way of Manitoba, on the stage with some weird electric four-string banjo and a laptop and what do you get? Some very interesting folkish, Gypsy music that is hard to describe but very listenable and makes for an interesting presentation. He really did warm up the crowd with his chatting and personality.

Mount Kimbie came on next, a surprise because I’d thought they’d play last, and immediately began impressing me with their sound. Their EPs and album, Crooks & Lovers, don’t prepare the audience for the live show. Both of the guys were up, with heads nodding pushing buttons on the MPCs and banging on the drum pad. A guitar came out, as did the cymbal, and we even got some singing. To hear the recording is a shadow of what their live show is. They are, no doubt, performing their music instead of just playing it. Indeed, they even swapped equipment for one track.

It should be noted that the crowd was biased towards Beats Antique, an easy call based on the variety of garb indicating some interest in the belly dancing vibe of Beats Antique. That said, Mount Kimbie really did get the crowd going a number of times and they left a very impressed fan in myself. I wanted to hear more, and I do hope they return.

Beats Antique revved up the audience immediately. I was quickly impressed that the full drum set, which I’d been puzzled by, was used from the first song to the last. On the other side of the stage was a setup with a MacBook Pro, cymbal, more controls, drum pad, and most importantly the electric fiddle. Add the clarinet and sax player, with Zoe Jakes herself banging on a drum squad kickdrum, and the crowd was treated to an intense, vibrant, and fascinating performance.

Zoe, and at times one or two other dancers, also treated us to their skills on many of the songs. I’ve never been a fan of bellydancing as a performance, but in this context it worked very, very well. There lied a cohesiveness between the elements that made for a riveting performance. Unsure what to expect beforehand, I was left duly impressed.

All told, this was a great trio of artists who ply their trade well. All blended electronics and sampling with instruments in one way or another. I do hope to see their names on another marquee in Utah.

I’m getting excited for this show tomorrow at The Depot. $10 pre-show, $15 at the door is CHEAP.

Should be a killer show. C’mon down!

More info on Last.FM