Thievery Corporation has been on tour pretty much since March of this year. Starting out in the U.S. then heading to Europe for the better part of the summer and wrapping back around to the States, landing in St. Louis as they near the end of their lengthy world tour.
And we’re so glad they did. Land (once again) in St. Louis, that is.
A Thievery Corporation concert is an experience like none other. For nearly 2 hours, the 1,000 people at The Pageant Thursday night were a wash in a mixture of dub, reggae, lounge, hip-hop, Middle Eastern music, and more expertly woven together. The brilliant lighting enhanced the irresistible allure exuding from each member on stage. Fans grooved to it all throughout. From Rob Myers expertly handling the sitar during the trip-hop “Mandala” to Frank Orrall manning a spaceship in the dark during the uptempo “The Hear’s a Lonely Hunter” to a sultry, acoustic “Meu Nego” featuring Laura Val, the band mesmerized and energized.
More than once, the night highlighted each musician (Myers, Orrall, Jeff Franca, Dan Africano, and of course, co-founder Rob Garza) and vocalist (including Vall, Orrall, Racquel Jones, and Puma Ptah) allowing them to shine.
In their nearly 30-year existence, Thievery Corporation has melded components of world music into a tight yet flowing sound that takes one’s soul to new levels that are hard-pressed to duplicate.
St. Louis’ LuSiD opened with a 40-plus minute DJ set of original electronic tracks that included him looping in his guitar, weaving in light vocals, a didgeridoo, and more. Although his set started off slow, the energy increased as the room filled.
Thievery Corporation stole this concert photographer’s heart but that’s quite alright.
See all photos from the night: https://bit.ly/ThieveryCorp24cz
