Thievery Corporation: Leading the Sway

The Duo Hosts a Stream of Artists, Creating a Powerful Vibe at the 9:30

On one of the shortest days of the year, Thievery Corporation kicked off one of the longest parties in 9:30 club history in grand fashion. Wednesday night was the first of four consecutive sold-out shows for Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, the local duo that over the past decade has managed to make D.C. an unlikely hot spot for those who enjoy chilled-out, high-society evenings filled with downbeat electronic music. A stop-start nature slowed the performance early on, but once it hit its groove, it grooved as only a Thievery Corporation show could. There was no shortage of sultry, seductive beats highlighting sounds from across the globe, creating a vibe that had the packed house swaying as one.

Garza and Hilton basically served as the evening's hosts. They watched over the proceedings from a riser on the 9:30 club stage, behind a combination of turntables, keyboards and various electronics, and in front of a giant screen that projected brightly colored images of mostly geometric patterns that could best be described as "really trippy, man." Rarely were they the center of attention, instead passing that honor to the rotating cast of characters that joined them onstage throughout the evening.

And what a rotating cast of characters it was: eight singers, four percussionists -- including a couple of turns by 9:30 owner Seth Hurwitz -- a guitarist/sitarist, bassist, saxophonist and trumpeter. Oh, and can't forget the belly dancer. (No sign of a partridge or pear tree.)

The constant shifting had both positive and negative aspects. On the plus side, things remained fresh. The sounds shifted from Eastern-tinged tunes highlighted by Rob Myers's ace sitar playing (is Myers the first sitar player to sport an Iron Maiden T-shirt?) to bouncy Brazilian beats to some rocked-up reggae. On the other hand, just when one vocalist seemed to be hitting a comfort zone, a new one emerged and there was a break in the music, which was a downer for those accustomed to the seamless transitions on the group's DJ outings.

Local vocalists LouLou and Sista Pat provided highlights early on with "Shadows" and "Lebanese Blonde," respectively, but things picked up considerably when Rootz and Zeebo took over vocal duties for the dub/reggae portion of the show. The two -- also locals -- served as much as hype men as singers, getting audience members to wave their arms and just generally loosen up. It was around this point that personal space on the floor became nonexistent and gyrations by audience members became more pronounced. The two led a rousing version of "Warning Shots" to end the initial set that had the audience going wild, and did it again with the encore performance of "Coming From the Top."

As is often the case with hybrid live/DJ performances, it was sometimes hard to tell exactly what Garza and Hilton were doing while everyone else was coming and going beside them. But they were certainly enjoying themselves, and who could blame them? Even without a new album to support, they had no problem selling out their run (Melissa Etheridge is the only other performer to have played the club four straight nights) and are enjoying the most success of their career a decade after it began, long after the electronica fad of the late '90s came and went.

Another handful of years like the past few, and the 9:30 may as well just block off the whole month of December for Thievery.