As the sun slowly went down, the bass hit my chest. Barefoot and active, Ashish “Hash” Vyas, the bass player for Thievery Corporation, set the tone for the show from the first thump of his weapon of choice. Dub, Reggae, World, Hip Hop, Trip Hop all came together in the band’s 45 minute set of solid grooves, scintillating raps, soft and beautiful vocals and prominent Sitar solos. Eric Hilton and Rob Garza are the masters of this eclectic universe of styles and sounds which had the whole crowd rocking and swaying in time with each deep, rich bass line.
The atmosphere got even hotter once the sun did go down. Rapper MC Mr. Lif provided one of many highlights of the evening on the tune “Culture of Fear.” With each line rhythmically spoken, MC Mr. Lif left you no choice but to get caught up in the groove. Reggae MC Sleepy Wonder lamented about greed in the corporate world on the anthem “Vampires.” Shana Haligan of Bitter:Sweet provided sultry vocals on “Is It Over” and newcomer Kota lent her angelic voice on “Free.” The tunes provided an ethereal break from the hard bass induced set.
This was my second time seeing Thievery Corporation and, like the first show, this concert was filled with varied rhythms and influential grooves from all over the world. Very inspirational (as well as perspirational (my word) – damn it gets hot and muggy in Austin) and memorable. Can’t wait to see them again.
– Submitted by Michael Griffin, Music Design