It’s a special feeling when you have the chance to see a band play in their hometown. To me the energy is palpable. The crowd is intimately familiar with the band and revved up to welcome them home and the band feeds off of this and maybe some home-cooking, too. To me, it’s always the best show of the tour.
Thievery Corporation returned home to the 9:30 Club in Washington DC and gave me one more anecdotal piece of evidence to support my theory.
When I arrived for the show right at 8:00, the venue was already thick with people buzzing around and trying to stake their claim to property they would defend for the rest of the night. The crowd was mostly true fans of TC with some Fifty year-old women who have had a few too many Pinot Grigios, a few middle-aged men holding onto whatever youth remains, and a couple of twenty-somethings that pride themselves on turning their friends onto new music sprinkled in.
Emancipator, also known as Doug Appling, opened the night with an hour-long set of chill, down-tempo beats that gained energy through the entire hour. Appling was joined by violinist Ilya Goldberg, who stole the show. The crowd was trying their best to get into it, but it was clear they were anxiously awaiting Thievery Corporation to take the stage.
Playing the 9:30 Club for the first time in three years, the local boys gave the people a mix of songs from their entire twenty-six year discography. Founding members Eric Hilton and Rob Garza perched above the talented musicians they have gathered like a conductor whose orchestra’s backs are facing them. Baton, replaced with beats.
It was hard to take my eyes off of Rob Myers.(guitar, sitar) Clearly an entertainer, he has something that draws you in. Passionate, thrilled and excited, it’s obvious Myers isn’t taking anything for granted and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Five vocalists rotated in and out throughout the night, each bringing something special to the song. Laura Vall, Mr. Lif, Racquel Jones, Puma Ptah, and LouLou Ghelichkhani all shined on their own and at times, with each other. Laura singing Lebanese Blonde. Mr. Lif and Puma doing History. Racquel Jones bringing the heat on Originality. And LouLou’s sweet, airy voice that is simultaneously angelic and ghostly every time she stepped on stage. Sweet Tides standing above the rest.
Saving something special for their homecoming, TC played four songs for the first time during this penultimate show of this mini-tour. Rob Garza grabbed a guitar and joined LouLou and the rest of the band on Sweet Tides and then Puma on Richest Man In Babylon. The band briefly left the stage and returned to wrap up the two hour show with two more songs. Marching Hate Machines Into the Sun featuring percussionist Frank Orrall providing the vocals. Ending the night, Puma, Mr. Lif and Racquel’s grand finale of Warning Shots sent the crowd back into the frigid DC night talking about the incredible show they just witnessed.
Enjoy these photos from Thievery Corporation from their show at 930 Club on 12-21-22.
