The long awaited moment had arrived.  Washington DC’s down-tempo royalty Rob Garza and Eric Hilton (AKA Thievery Corporation) gracing our shores for the first time, and I couldn’t hide my excitement as I strolled towards the Rev. Stepping into the venue it was hard not to be impressed.  Great layout, with plenty of space for dancing or relaxing, coupled with some smooth lighting and décor lent the Rev just the right air of sophistication to suit the streamlined tunes to follow.

Heading upstairs for a good view of the festivities I had the pleasure of catching Julien Love and Mark Brias stoking the dance floor with a healthy dose of funk and soul.  Mark once again impressing with the wide range of music he can bring to bear on grateful punters.

The crowd swelled as the hour approached and by the time Thievery Corporation took to the stage a buzz of anticipation had descended on the Rev.  But before I go any further, I need to get something straight for the few who may not realise.  Thievery Corporation are not just any old coffee shop soundtrack manufacturer, they are an institution.  For eight years they have perfected the fusion of electronic music with reggae, afro-beat, Indian, Brazilian, soul, jazz, lounge, hip hop and easy listening, and that was exactly the sort of eclectic treat we were to receive that night.

Effortlessly flowing through a globe spanning variety of genres, they had the crowd on their feet from beginning to end. Latin influences pervaded the night, ensuring hips were always swaying, but the boys also took the time to slow things down with a few reggae classics such as Delroy Wilson’s “Better Must Come” and Toots and the Maytals “5446 Was My Number” which had the punters punching the sky.  The highlight for me came via their foray into their Indian influences and contemporaries including label mates the Karminsky Experience’s “Exploration” and the superb “Emerald Alley” from Up, Bustle and Out.

The icing on the cake came from Thievery Corporations own gems littered throughout the set.  Favourites like Facing East and the G-Corp remix of The Richest Man in Babylon kept the party rocking well into the night.  There were no complaints to be heard from the very decent Wednesday night crowd when Rob and Eric pushed on far past their scheduled set time.

Sadly, I didn’t stick around to see Paprika wrap things up, being a school night and all.  Instead came a smokey car ride home, my head ringing with Thievery Corporation’s unique Outernationalist sound.