Thievery Corporation | 2.28.09 | PA
By Team JamBase Mar 13, 2009 • 12:22 pm PDT

Thievery Corporation :: 03.19.09 :: Electric Factory :: Philadelphia, PA
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Philadelphia’s Electric Factory boomed from the outside, echoing against the nearby buildings. Inside a DJ spun reggae and beats until about 9:30. From there it was a free-for-all, and what we thought we knew about Thievery Corporation melted in a series of repeated shouts of “Oh my God!” and “Wow, look at that crowd!” The Philadelphia mob is notoriously hit or miss. For Saturday night’s tour closer, it was a hit crowd through and through. Once Hilton and Garza took over the turntables and knob tweaking the Factory exploded with life. Think of a Thievery Corporation show as you would a variety show or ultra hip-hop extravaganza. The beast was a two and a half hour throw-down featuring thirteen different performers and a massive LED lighting backdrop. As one group of performers left the stage, another onslaught of musicians emerged fresh, ready to spit fire and woo us with their own personal multi-lingual flavors. They wove together a smooth lounge aesthetic with dub reggae, bossa nova beats, sitar dreams and percussion that tossed the crowd in an ocean of waving arms and bodies. The music leapt from country to continent; Brazilian, African, Indian, and Jamaican grooves echoed around the Factory as Thievery Corporation brought a global festivity to the stage with laid-back style.
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Following Sista Pat’s performance, Karina Zeviani, the Brazilian songstress, emerged. Her black and white striped dress moved with her bouncing spirit. She launched us into a “Exilio Exile” with a sound that was a bit of bossa nova cuddling up next to the punch of Massive Attack. Zeviani produced the most spirited female moments of the evening. This had more to do with her ability to connect playfully with the audience and less about her actual singing abilities. With its 14-year track record, Thievery Corporation delivered a convincing seminar in groove that had everything to do with the variety brought on from characters like Zeviani.
Iranian-American lounge queen LouLou just poured on the sensuality while adding serious flares of style. She performed a graceful version of her Persian-Lounge song “Shadows of Ourselves” that just clung to the building’s atmosphere like drifting smoke from a smoldering flame. As she performed, Ashish “Hash” Vyas whirled around the stage, pounding out the bass and dancing like a wild rubbery man. His deep four-string was appropriate for the rhythm-heavy sound, and his weighty handed blasts helped move the party all evening. During “Sweet Tides,” Vyas simultaneously showed off his skills as LouLou awed the crowd. I just never got tired of her velvety voice as she sung songs in French, Persian/Farsi and English.
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Frank Orrall blazed brilliantly on the percussion during “38:45” and “Warning Shots” as the strobe lights blew off the MCs, who amped the crowd beyond normal limits. Then, a version of the Outernational Sounds‘ “Richest Man in Babylon” stole the evening. Garza jumped down from the turntables to strap on a guitar. He strummed away between MC Sleepy Wonder and Sista Pat as they harmonized out the sweet, rootsy melody that lulled our thoughts to warmer nights.
While the biggest surprises of the evening came in the relentless energy of the crowd, Thievery Corporation didn’t leave much room for ad-libbing. Expecting heavy remixes on the fly from this pan-cultural DJ duo while juggling multiple lead singers could be a tad unfair. Watching Thievery Corporation is like watching a painter. They have many different brushes and materials to use, but the interesting part is in how they choose to place them on the canvas. There are so many options – singers, percussionists, rappers, horn players, etc. – that can be used to create one larger picture. No matter how Thievery Corporation paints the picture, they provoke a potent mix of groove and global-music influences that create something bigger than just a slick lounge party.
Thievery Corporation tour dates available here.
Continue reading for more pics of Thievery Corp in Philly…
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