Thievery Corporation performs at 9:30 Club on Dec. 15, 2018. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
Two iconic elements of the DC music scene melded together recently as hometown heroes Thievery Corporation, the internationally acclaimed electronic music duo consisting of DJs Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, held a three-night residency at the 9:30 Club. Ari Strauss caught them on the third and final night, Dec. 15.
The Thievery Corporation is currently on tour to promote its recent album, Treasures from the Temple, which was released earlier this year via the band’s own label, ESL Music.
Listen to Treasures from the Temple by Thievery Corporation on Spotify:
The genesis of Thievery Corporation dates back to the summer of 1995 at the Eighteenth Street Lounge, which Eric co-owns. He and Rob discovered similar interests in dub, bossa nova, and jazz music — and they wanted to see what could come from mixing them together.
They put together a home recording studio, which evolved into the pair’s own recording label, Eighteenth Street Lounge Music, today know as ESL Music. In the 23 years since Rob and Eric joined creative forces, Thievery Corporation has released 10 studio LPs, two remix collections, and two DJ mix albums. The Thievery Corporation continue to perform live around the world.
Setlist:
Medley Heaven’s Gonna Burn Your Eyes
Radio Retaliation
True Sons of Zion
Voyage Libre
Letter to the Editor
Culture of Fear
Illumination
Le Monde
Depth of My Soul
Ghetto Matrix
Amerimacka
The Heart’s a Lonely Hunter
Fight to Survive
Warning Shots
Waiting Too Long
Road Block
History
Sweet Tides
Lebanese Blonde
The Richest Man in Babylon
Thievery Corporation is Rob and Eric, but they are augmented by many performers in their live show. The live backing band consists of Ashish “Hash” Vyas (bass), Jeff “ Congo Sangez” Franco (drums), Rob Myers (guitar/sitar), Frank Orrall (precussion), Mr. Lif (MC), LouLou Ghelichkhani (vocals), Natala Clavier (vocals), Christopher “Puma” Smith (MC/vocals), Racquel Jones (vocals), Notch (vocals), Joe Herrera (trumpet), and Matt Rippetoe (saxophone).
Check out some photos of Thievery Corporation’s performance at 9:30 Club on Dec. 15, 2018, the third performance of a three-night residency. All images copyright and courtesy of Ari Strauss.
