The Joyful, Transcendent Nostalgia of Thievery Corporation
Photograph Courtesy of Thievery Corporation
Article By: Elizabeth Weiler
For fans of a certain vintage, Thievery Corporation is more than just music; it’s the soundtrack to an uncanny sensation of being on the edge of something close to transcendent. Thievery Corporation’s show at Vancouver's art-deco Vogue Theatre (December 15, 2024) capitalized on this particular flavour of Generation X and elder Millennial nostalgia and transcendence-seeking, as the show enthrallingly beckoned the audience to dive into the lush, downtempo grooves that made Thievery famous. Their seamless blend of organic and electronic elements harkened back to a cultural moment when Thievery’s brand of cosmopolitan cool was utterly groundbreaking. A palpably shameless and celebratory joy permeated the room, as the audience sublimely grooved to tracks that shaped electronic and world music fusion from the late ‘90s and early ‘00s.
Thievery Corporation didn’t merely play a set—they wove a living, breathing democratic tapestry of sound that kept the audience dancing with abandon, perpetually shifting in form, tone, and texture. Whether it was the reggae-inspired “Sleeper Car” from Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi (1997), or the smooth, insistent rhythms of “Lebanese Blonde” from Mirror Conspiracy (2000), the band expertly shuffled between decades and styles, creating a seamless journey through their rich catalog. A rotating cast of guest vocalists and an arsenal of continent-spanning instruments (Rob Myers on sitar was a recurring highlight) endowed the show with an irrepressible joie de vivre, as the band continually recalibrated their sonic identity in real time. The rotating cast of vocalists were chameleons, transforming the stage with each new entrance. Vocal versatility was on full display, as smooth, jazzy trip-hop vocals slid into a fiery reggae-infused toasting, only to melt into the seductive, sultry rhythms of Latin grooves. The vocalists’ ability to read and galvanize the crowd turned every instrumental break into a collective celebration.
At its core, the show was a powerful testament to Thievery Corporation’s enduring influence across genres. Even in world-weary 2024, Thievery Corporation offers a masterclass in how to stir emotions, even if it can’t completely escape the gravitational pull of its own past. Nostalgia? Sure. But this band still knows exactly how to make a crowd of mostly 40-somethings–on a cold, Vancouver December night–move".
