Thievery Corporation

It was gloomy, sticky, and misty.  Nice weather for ducks, but not a great for outdoor concert goers, which may explain why the line at Brooklyn’s Williamsburg Waterfront (QRO venue review) did not extend for several blocks when the doors opened on that grim Friday afternoon, June 24th.

Dam-Funk hit the stage first with his keytar and, of course, his funk.  A short set that mixed old school and modern funk that started shaking the gloom out of the growing crowd.

Then Raphael Saadiq and his band stepped in with such passion that the audience that had been walking around the ‘beer garden’ started filling the front of the stage.  His classic rhythm and blues and vintage looks were an instant hit for his first Brooklyn concert in the last 15 years.

After a quick set change, the headliners took the stage… by storm.  It is always surprising to see Thievery Corporation live.  Their albums are rightfully associated with the terms lounge, down-tempo, chill, etc., but they could not be more different in concert.  The band started with the classic “Sound the Alarm”, and Ashish Vyas’ walking (or more like dancing) bass set the tone of the night.  The Corporation is here to party and you are all invited to join.

After dipping quickly in their recent album Culture of Fear (QRO review) with its eponymous song, the six-musician ensemble, directed by Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, supported seven vocalists for the next 90 minutes, picking songs through all the albums at least once and playing a mix of crowd-pleasers including “Lebanese Blonde”, “38.45”, “Radio Retaliation”, “Heart Is a Lonely Hunter”, and “Richest Man in Babylon”.  Rob Myers picked up the sitar for only one song, leaving the audience wanting more.

At the beginning of the encore, Rob Garza was on acoustic guitar and introduced Organic Chemistry, a newcomer from D.C., who played one song with the band before Thievery Corporation ended their set with introductions and “Vampires” from Radio Retaliation.

While the concert did not stir far from the beaten path, Thievery Corporation know how to get their audience, and themselves to jump, dance, and have a great time, creating a little island of sunshine in this otherwise rainy day.