Thievery Corporation is easily one of our favorite artists on the festival scene. Their music is so diverse and eclectic that every show is truly a unique experience in itself – regardless of how many times you’ve seen the Corporation perform, you’ve never seen the same set twice. Rob Garza and Eric Hilton have been preforming together since 1995, so needless to say they have a long history between their turntables. Their acid jazz style combines elements of soul, disco, and funk. They manage to successfully fuse genres seamlessly, such as their bossa-nova inspired album Saudade, with enchanting lyrics from Argentinian singer Natalia Clavier in their song ‘Claridad’ in particular, to the reggae inspired sets that are fueled with boundless energy.
The performance by Thievery Corporation that beautiful day at Summer Camp was perfect. The weather was gorgeous and the anticipation from getting to see them grace the main stage made the air feel electric. When it came time for them to play, I remember being so excited my heart thudded in my chest – it was my first time seeing them live. But as I learned that day, Thievery Corporation shines best when the live band, instrumentalists, vocalists and MCs are in tow! This is exactly what they did at Summer Camp, and it was one of the funkiest reggae sets of the weekend. I loved every moment of it. Later during that same summer up in New York at Camp Bisco, I saw them again and it was almost different entirely; New York’s set was full of sexy dance floor vibes, yet keeping their funky persona floating atop it all. It definitely brought me back to Summer Camp; it felt good to be grooving in the hot summer sun again to the smooth melodies of Thievery Corporation. They are always mixing up their style to consistently create something new through their ever-evolving influences. The band just announced recently that they’re in the studio working on a new album, and we can’t wait to see what Thievery Corporation is going to bring to the table next!
If you’ve yet to see the band in action, we highly suggest snagging passes to McDowell Mountain Music Festival and catching them in the warm Arizona sun! McDowell is the kind of event that Compose Yourself Magazine truly loves to support, as they are Arizona’s only 100% non profit funded festival, with all proceeds from ticket sales going to charities! We are more than excited to see Thievery Corporation and McDowell Mountain Music Festival partnering up for the greater good and benefiting society through music.
Here is a set by Thievery Corporation from Burning Man 2014, which as the band quoted, was ‘three years in the making’. Listen to these tracks and get ready to rage at McDowell Mountain Music Festival!
