I don't see shows very often any more. Partly because I don't like being in crowds. Partly because I actively hate several of Portland's major venues and am boycotting them for their total disdain for not only their customers, but the bands that have come to play here (yes, Berbati's, I mean you). Partly it's because I'm getting old, and I don't like having to stay out until 2am to see a band. And partly because few of the bands that I like seem to come to town.
That said, Thievery Corportation, at the Roseland (one of the venues I'm not fond of), were fantastic. Crowds were bovine as usual, and it took a massive effort on the part of the band to get people dancing (even sometimes on the beat! amazing!). Band made some mistakes, Revolution Solution was too fast, build-up to the encore was stronger than the encore itself, but they brought a full ensemble, including 6 vocalists, sitar, and horn section, and made lots of good noise.
But what made this show a real treat was that there was no opening band with an endless soundcheck, the show started on time, and it let out well before the last bus home. I get so tired of being forced to stay in some dank, crappy bar until the wee hours, nursing an over-priced, watered-down drink, suffering through soundcheck after soundcheck only to have the band I came to see get the worst sound mix ever because everyone in the place is shouting out drunken coversations instead of watching the band. (OK, talking about Berbati's again, but it's happened elsewhere, too)
And Friday I'm going to Sleepytime Gorilla Museum at Dante's, another rather unappealing venue. At least I'll probably have a ride home from that one if it gets out at 2 in the morning.