Thievery Corporation
Ace of Spades, Sacramento
December 22, 2024
Photos by Paul Piazza
Thievery Corporation played their final show of 2024 recently at Sacramento’s Ace of Spades. The group, began in 1995 when two friends, Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, conjoined for creative collaborations at a lounge co-owned by Hilton in Washington D.C.
The duo have since gone on to create one of the most successful partnerships in electronic music. Blending dub, reggae, acid jazz, Middle Eastern music, hip hop, Bossa nova, classical, and other genres, Thievery Corporation have distinguished themselves as innovators with both live and recorded performances in their almost 30-year history.
One of the more unique aspects of their live show is that while they have a permanent live instrumental lineup, but they have a rotating group of vocalists entering and exiting the stage throughout the performance. This adds to the mystique of their vibe as it flows throughout a show.
The show in Sacramento was the group’s 90th and final performance of a very successful 2024 touring campaign. Hilton no longer tours with the group but still does a lot of recording under his own monicker. However, Garza was present along with other long time band members. Garza presided over the occasion from his usual DJ spot at the back of center stage while guitar/sitar player Rob Myers and bassist Dan Africano prowled the front of the stage. On drums, there was the great Jeff Franca, and Frank Orall was featured on percussion. Both showcased their talents in a couple of heavy rhythmic exchanges that had that crowd swaying and mesmerized. The packed crowd was less dressed for the holidays than they were for heading straight to Burning Man. The group was a big hit there in 2014.
Throughout the night, the core five created alluring rhythms and grooves as the group’s rotating cast of singers came out individually, performed a song, and then exited. There were different degrees of energy within these songs. Some more meditative, some more pulsing. As the night went on, and things heated up, occasionally more than one vocalist would be onstage simultaneously.
Near the final crescendo of the night, they were all onstage together. The overall result of this evening was a very satisfying Sacramento show. The group dove deep into a cascade of songs that was heaviest on cuts from 2002’s The Richest man in Babylon and 2008’s Radio Retaliation, but went way beyond those two treasured recordings.
Altogether, there were twenty-three songs from eleven different albums played. The group haven’t released a new album since 2020, but there is word there may be something coming in 2025. In the meantime, the repertoire and the performances continue to sound and feel as fresh as ever. And based on the packed house at Ace of Spades, this group remains a very strong draw. And it’s not just the music, the group have an admirable history of working with human rights causes around the world. Some of the things they have been involved with are opposing war and what they regard as exploitati,ve trade agreements, while supporting human rights and food programs. Many noble causes and songs that are delivered in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Persian, Portuguese, Romanian and Hindi help them to communicate their vibrations to many of the far-reaching corners of the globe.
