There’s something of a story to how I ended up at the Outernational Tour last Saturday evening. Originally, a friend of mine nabbed tickets to see Ladytron with Datarock at the 9:30 Club here in Washington D.C. Having just discovered both 80’s revival, electronica rock bands last winter, I was excited to see the two on the same bill. When spring rolled around, it was announced that the show had been canceled… kind of. Ladytron had signed on to the Outernational Tour, headlined by Thievery Corporation, which was billed at the Merriweather Post Pavillion in Maryland on the same date as the 9:30 Club date. To work the trades, they moved Datarock to a different club, and there I was at the Outernational Tour.

While I lost Datarock, I gained both Thievery Corporation and the always exciting TV on the Radio, a worthy trade in my opinion. For those of you lost on the name, The Outernational Tour is a traveling mini-festival featuring international bands of all styles, campaigning for the World Food Program. This was quite the exhausting event in comparison to the small gig at the 9:30 Club I had planned to attend.

First up was Federico Aubele, followed by Turntables on the Hudson. Due to a delayed start, both sets were short, but kicking off a night with Argentinean and Reggae/Caribbean music wasn’t too bad. Third on the bill was Ladytron. Despite the tastier bill, part of me was a little disappointed that I wasn’t going to see the electronica act in a club setting, because for me that is where this style of music is heard best.

Even though the set felt a little distant, Ladytron was still just what I had hoped. A good two-thirds of the material was all new, opening with “Black Car”, continuing with “Runaway”, and tearing it up with the single, “Ghost”, which was powerful enough to remind me of their first big hit, “Destroy Everything You Touch”, which happened to be the all too necessary closer. As for their “look”, I couldn’t help but notice the likeness to a certain Robert Palmer video, only they wore black, driving in their new wave appeal, which was exactly what I had imagined them to look like. Overall, the set was very entertaining and cohesive.

Next up, TV on the Radio brought the good ol’ USA into the mix. The New Yorkers broke into a set that included a heavier sounding, “Wolf Like Me”. As seems to be a trend at summer outdoor concerts, it rained. Actually that’s an understatement. It rained hard for about ten minutes, making the set even more dramatic and energetic. Luckily, the rain subsided quickly and cooled off the night for the main event.

Thievery Corporation brought the night together flawlessly, combining beats from the Caribbean to Europe and Southern Asia. Eric Hilton and Rob Garza were accompanied by live percussionists, including a featured member of Poi Dog Pondering, and a belly dancer. It was like a warped modern orchestra with guitars and sitars, all topped off by a horn section. Providing the vocals were a wonderful group of international singers that brought the set to life. Somehow within all that madness, the duo managed to squeeze in a special appearance by Brazilian guitarist Seu Jorge, who played on a few of the songs, making this altogether a very unique experience.

Backed by basic, house light arrangements and politically charged montages on-screen behind them, Thievery Corporation brought in soulful Latin, reggae, hip-hop, and house in one of the most musically diverse sets I have ever seen. Endlessly entertaining, every song brought something new to the audience. Songs played included “Lebanese Blond” and “Radio Retaliation”, a new track from the upcoming record. Also played was a song co-written by David Byrne called, “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”, which could have easily been one of Byrne’s own.

With a rowdy hip-hop closer and a perfect wrap up encore, the D.C. natives brought an energetic and loud international sound to the quiet and peaceful Maryland. In the end, and looking back, it was a necessary change to my usual live musical experience.

Categories: Concert Reviews
Tags: Ladytron, Thievery Corporation, TV on the Radio