thievery corporation live : a revolving door of vocalists

The latest Thievery Corporation album felt too dark. Musically, both the dazzling sounds of the sitar and a Corp staple, the lively, patios-rapping duo See-I, were notably absent. Many of the dub-reggae influenced vibes gave way to bleak raps and sullen slow jams--albeit, TC does that well. There's still plenty of beauty in the music but the world incited is one of distress, paranoia, and surveillance; the album's art points a jet-black security camera in your face below the title: Culture of Fear.

Yet, as the Corp chandeliers lowered from the darkness, settling above the stage, on Wednesday, September 14th at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland already knew that Thievery Corporation Live brings a completely different atmosphere. For one night the familiar downtempo electronica was sensationally uptempo.

Recreating live what DJ/producers Rob Garza and Eric Hilton have done in the studio for more than 15 years is no easy feat but a couple busloads of talented artists and instruments could do the trick. With seven players on stage, including a two-piece brass section, two guitarists, keys, percussion and drums (but no Hilton), and a revolving door of seven guest vocalists, the audience was starved for Thievery Corporation's international blend of acid jazz, reggae, trip-hop, funk, dub, electronica, and hip-hop.

The entire concert hall was up, standing and shaking hips, from Rob Myers' distinctive opening sitar notes on "Lebanese Blonde," accompanied by the exquisitely airy vocals of Buenos Aires-born Natalia Clavier, to encore closer "Light It Up" where all five guest rappers, Sleepy Wonder, See-I, Ras Puma, and Mr. Lif, plus a throng of dancing ladies from the audience filled the stage as the show-stealing, barefoot-grooving bassist Ashish Vyas took to the front row.

The varied cast of vocalists, with a new face taking center stage on at least every other song, made it almost easy to forget all the live instrumentation creating TC's intricate, beat-heavy textures until they put you in the dark and gave the crowd an instrumental breakdown highlighting the body-vibrating, low-end basslines, the critically involved auxiliary percussion, and the booming kick drum beat, on which a classic Thievery Corporation target, painted Rastafarian green, yellow and red, was emblazoned--it was mind blowing.

Two overstuffed chairs also flanked center on stage, and as the concert opened, Rob Myers picked up his sitar and sat cross-legged on the cream psychiatrists-like lounger on the left for "Lebanese Blonde" with a shit-eating smile on his face... and ours. The minuscule rouge velvet armchair right was later, daintily, filled by the stunning, Iranian-born songstress LouLou Ghelichkhani on "Sweet Tides" during the second song of the encore after Rob Garza came down from behind his keys and electronics to play guitar on an instrumental jam.

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methodically melodic : a q/a with a perfect circle’s billy howerdel

The current bio on A Perfect Circle’s recently updated website doesn’t offer much information. It simply lists that Maynard James Keenan handles the vocals and Billy Howerdel the guitar. That’s it.

With the ease that this malleable group plays, they could almost trick you into believing it’s that simple.

The two may be the original backbone of APC but a rotating cast of world-class musicians has contributed to the larger-than-life band’s instantaneous success since their introduction on Nine Inch Nail’s Fragility v2.0 tour in 2000. Before the release of their debut album, Mer de Noms, the cast of players included Tim Alexander (Primus), Paz Lenchantin (Zwan, The Entrance Band), Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens of the Stone Age, Failure), and Josh Freese (Devo, The Vandals, Weezer), while subsequent releases and line ups have seen appearances from Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails) and Jeordie White (Marilyn Manson).

The current line up that will hit the Schnitz in Portland on Wednesday, June 29th includes Howerdel (vocals/guitar) and Keenan (lead vocals) alongside guitarist-keyboardist James Iha (The Smashing Pumpkins), bassist Matt McJunkins (Ashes Divide), and touring drummer Jeff Friedl (Ashes Divide, Puscifer) standing in for Josh Freese.

But the APC project has always been Billy Howerdel’s baby; something that the Tool lead singer contributes to when his schedule, between wine making, starring in a documentary about wine making, and also playing in Puscifer, allows. With a wealth of knowledge, experience and professionalism, the mega-group has always followed Howerdel’s vision, something he honed as a guitar tech for bands like Faith No More, The Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, Guns N’ Roses and Tool during the nineties.

A coveted collaboration with Keenan brought wider exposure to Howerdel’s talents, something that was only previously noticed by the musicians he directly worked with, and the two emerged with a potent blend of artistic rock which saw Keenan adding a darkly operatic, dramatic flair to his vocal stylings for APC.

Fall of 2010 saw the band back on the road for the first time since spring of 2004, playing a string of select West Coast dates where APC played three consecutive gigs in each city, performing a different album in its entirety each night. After that warm up, summer 2011 marks the group’s first comprehensive North American tour in almost eight years.

Always a collection of collaborative, talented friends rather than a manufactured supergroup, the quality of the music and performance is a testament to this ethos. OMN had the chance to ask Billy Howerdel about A Perfect Circle’s upcoming tour, which kicks off in Portland, and the band’s future plans for a fourth album. He also gave some insight into his pensive songwriting process and how it feels to work with musicians who influenced him.

I know that technically there is no APC full-length album in the works but how many new songs do you have? And how many can we expect to hear live?

We’ve got one that the music’s there, we’ve been playing it every day, Maynard’s been working on the lyrics and I think he’s really close. We’ll just be cutting it pretty close to play this new song live.

Any plans to record this song?

Yeah, it’s recorded too. We’ll play it live before the recording will come out so that’ll probably be a first for us… well, if you don’t count 1999 before Mer de Noms came out and we weren’t signed and no one knew who we were, we did a few shows around California, but other than that we’ve never tested the waters with a new song live.

I’m just approaching it the same way as recording a body of work that would be an album but it just won’t be released like that. So, I’ll have to finish them in that kind of a way… this one certainly is done first but typically I’ll get everything 85% done and then once the collection of songs is there, then put the final touches on them all so they have some kind of continuity. I just have to be mindful of that ahead of time. It’s going to be a new experience for us.

I’ve also heard that you’re working on new material for a second Ashes Divide album. If the writing efforts for both acts are largely spearheaded by you, how do you determine what is written for what?

I still don’t know. I think the song kind of speaks for itself once it’s written and once it’s underway. Songs are in your control but they’re out of your control; there’s something under our emotional hood that kind of drives where they go. So when you’re writing it and you’re in that process they’re going one direction and you can step away from it for hours to days to weeks and you hear it in a different way because you’re having a different experience in your life. I can look at something and go “this is purposely going to be an Ashes song” and all of a sudden I hear it again and go “this is appropriate for APC and where we’re heading now.” So there’s no great formula, we just kind of go from there.

As far as APC, I’ll present things to Maynard and he’s surprised me with some of the things he’s responded to… which doesn’t surprise me. He’s always looking to evolve and looking for something different. It might surprise you that he’ll do something that’s familiar or older. He’ll keep you guessing which is good; that’s what the collaborative process should be.

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sufjan stevens stuns at the schnitz

After five years of waiting, Sufjan Stevens indulged his devout fans with 20 new songs, over 2 hours of new music in the form of an hour-long EP, All Delighted People, and a much-awaited sixth album, The Age of Adz. And as he thanked the attentively passionate Portland audience on Friday, October 29th at a sold-out Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall for their “patience and fortitude,” Sufjan acknowledged that his fans had no clue that come performance date he’d have released two new albums in the span of just two months but also that he’d be performing exclusively new material.

He expressed gratitude for the troopers in his ten-piece band and then he unleashed “the epic mini-series” of a song, the collusion and conglomeration of everything that had happened in the minutes, the hours, the days, the months, the years, and the decades leading up to the creation of The Age of Adz, which drew inspiration from the art and life of a schizophrenic Louisianan sign-maker and self-proclaimed prophet, Royal Robertson. All the self-isolation and self-destruction, the pending apocalypse and past abductions, pyschobabble and prophecy and catastrophe, love and loss, affection and affliction: The sum of all these things was a 26-minute live rendition of “Impossible Soul,” the closing track on Sufjan Stevens’ latest album. This came as the second to last song of his set (excluding encore) and after ten songs exclusively from the aforementioned albums.

Patient we were, but also captivated. The breadth of talent on that stage was absolutely entrancing and even though many came to hear tales of Illinois and Michigan (with a few no doubt crossing their fingers for a future taste of Oregon) or even delicate banjo plucking, not a soul was disappointed.

Sufjan’s jerky dance moves coaxed chuckles, his costumed props added smiles, and his Auto-Tuned vox on “Impossible Soul” may have drawn outright laughs but it was only because we were unaccustomed to such a dramatic, artistic transformation performed so perfectly. With two drummers on two drums kits–including electronic drum pads–two female back up vocalists and dancers, two and three trombonists, two on keys and piano, two on guitars (bass, electric, acoustic, banjo), and Sufjan before his lectern, the execution was impeccable. There were no loops. The intricacies of the highly electronic Adz were entirely accomplished with live instruments. The opening, ode to Paul Simon, “All Delighted People” carried tangible power for the initial eleven minutes...

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sufjan stevens indulges us… + himself

Sufjan Stevens has, yet again, evolved into a new beast. But there’s no mistaking that his just-released, sixth album is anything but his own. The Age of Adz (pronounced “odds”) is his first full-length album in five years and it’s announcement came just weeks after his surprise, late-August release of an EP of new material on Bandcamp.

Sufjan Stevens has been dropping hints for years, clues of his penchant for marrying electronic elements with his complexly layered symphonic compositions, especially on 2009′s multi-disciplinary project BQE (most notably on “Movement IV: Traffic Shock”) and of course on 2001′s electronic Enjoy Your Rabbit. It was only a matter of time until he put out a staggering work that combined to two.

But with the release of his digi-EP, All Delighted People, Sufjan discarded those electronic elements, yet retained his epic, balladeering nature (and many of the natural bird warbles) with the opening, title track clocking in at more than 11 minutes (“All Delighted People” was originally workshopped on Sufjan’s fall tour in 2009) and the closing track (“Djohariah,” a guitar jam-for-single-mothers) just breaking 17 minutes. The release, which was available for download the same day that its existence was announced, received mixed reviews. Many were disappointed as the EP seemed to chronicle discarded ideas (it was publicized that the EP is “a dramatic homage to the Apocalypse, existential ennui, and Paul Simon’s Sounds of Silence“), and whether it was his strongest work, worthy of release after such a lengthy wait, or not, true fans rejoiced for the insight (and chance to hear) inside his prolific mind.

Then Sufjan dropped the real bomb. Just days later, his record label Asthmatic Kitty announced the October 12th release of The Age of Adz, and with Adz, Sufjan has smoothly combined his electronic passions with his symphonic nature, replete with trilling flutes, dramatic strings, immense choral arrangements, and whispery, lulling vocals.

Creating new textures on 11 tracks, this experimental marriage is typified by the opening of the second track on Adz. “Too Much” clashes The Flaming Lips with Trent Reznor, all molded and held together by Sufjan’s folk sensibilities and cleverly delivered lyrics. (Listen and download for free on OMN.) Later in the song, the 8-bit electro jitters while a chanting chorus of female voices float behind the scenes ultimately closing with a glitchy but flutteringly symphonic (that screams of Sufjan’s distinct arrangement) run out.

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rodrigo y gabriela dazzle the schnitz oct 12

Take one part heavy metal and mix with two parts classical Spanish guitars and you've got a recipe for the world's most stunning uproar of flamenco-metal fusion: Rodrigo y Gabriela.

The Mexican duo brings their fast-paced, rhythmically vibrant, acoustic sound to Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Monday, October 12.

After more than 15 years of playing together, Rodrigo y Gabriela's live performances are unparalleled. The pair exudes an intense energy that will make your heart race in tune with Gabriela's lightning fingers on rhythm guitar.

Each dexterous strum of Rodrigo's lead guitar sends a barrage of tonal messages, a powerful musical bond unfolding before you eyes. You will feel synapses sparking as increasingly complex arrangements and sheer speed awe you. Mouth agape in a crooked grin, you will be enchanted by the ease at which they play.

Rodrigo y Gabriela released their highly anticipated second album 11:11 in September, three years after their self-titled studio debut. With 11 tracks, the album pays homage to 11 artists who have inspired their work. Their debut saw spectacular covers of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway" and Metallica's "Orion" but we're left to speculate a bit about these 11 original tributes.

It's safe to say that the album's "Buster Voodoo" praises Jimi Hendrix while the title track "11:11" hails Pink Floyd. In honor of Paco De Lucía, the duo formed a quartet playing with Grammy-nominated Strunz & Farah on "Master Maqui."

11:11 takes flamenco to meet the East, featuring new strings like the sitar and oud. And the pair even introduces an electronic component to their routine with Testament's Alex Skolnick contributing an electric shred on "Atman."

Amongst the additional ingredients, the simple, steadfast formula remains the same. Watch the majesty and grace of two souls fluttering swift hands across guitar strings with clairvoyant precision. And get ready, because this one goes to 11.

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Monday, October 12, 2009
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Rocco DeLuca
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall : 1037 SW Broadway, Portland, Oregon 97205
Doors at 7 PM, show at 8 PM
Cost : $35 advance, $40 day of show
All ages

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Read this article on Examiner.com.