As I walked in to the Regency Ballroom on Friday October 21st, I thought to myself, “I’m going to be the only person here. Everybody is in Berkeley right now ready to watch Portishead perform live after 12+ years.” How often is DJ Shadow in Bay Area? Not too often but way more often than one of the most mysterious and groundbreaking bands of the 90s. So when I walked into the venue and saw floor peppered with a few people watching the local hip-hop opening act, I knew this was going to be a heartbreaking show. Sure, this was a hometown show but most of his true fanbase lies within those who find Portishead appealing. Only a dedicated few would want to pay the $38 ticket price to see the man himself.
DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Fortunately, I was surprised that the audience grew substantially in the duration of his set. So instead of worry about the ego of a DJ that I’ve been listening to for most of my electronic music loving days, I was able to sit back and enjoy the show.
There certainly was plenty to enjoy with this performance too. If you haven’t been paying attention to Joshua Davis aka DJ Shadow’s recent tours across the world, he’s been performing inside a large orb with two projectors pointed at it, creating various types of animation. Some of these animations provide the illusion that it’s the Earth, the Death Star, being sliced in half by a chainsaw, the Sun, filling up with blood, and many other surrealistic and highly entertaining projected displays.
DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
The setlist was long and full of new cuts from this year’s The Less You Know, The Better. Most of the new songs like Redeemed (my favorite of the new album), Border Crossing, and I Gotta Rokk were extended at times with “jam sessions” from Shadow’s lightning fast scratching and live (yes, I said live) drumming while he was creating the beats. Last year’s creepy Def Surrounds Us made an equally sinister appearance as well. It would have been nice to hear Give Me Back The Nights, a enormous and somewhat hilarious rant/track that really brings out the atmosphere that made Shadow the staple he is today.
DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Most of the older songs like Building Steam with a Grain of Salt and Stem/Long Stem received remix treatment; most of them from the DJ Shadow Remix Project. The Stem (Blank Image Mix) was especially effective with its creepy forest projections and Blair Witch-like footage that went well with the song. Walkie Talkie and Six Days from 2002’s Private Press were welcomed with some audience interaction, which Shadow prompted.
DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Shadow also did a lot of talking. The “Shadow Orb” would rotate around to reveal the man himself working furiously on the turntables and beats, which made the performance feel a bit more human. Everyone in a while he’d grab the mic and explain how important this show was to him. Shadow went on further to express his gratitude for his fans and the many Bay Area based artists (the team behind the projections is Bay Area based) that helped and influenced his unique style.
DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
So was I bummed I missed Portishead? I’ll admit, probably a bit. But parking around the Greek Theatre is worse than weeks of diarrhea and parking by the Regency is beyond simple (I parked almost right in front of the venue. Unheard of!). I digress. I guess what I’m saying is that if I was going to miss my favorite trip-hop band from the 90s, it better be because I’m witnessing a killer show from my favorite DJ from the 90s.
For more photos from this show, click here.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
DJ Shadow – Warning Call from The Less You Know, The Better (2011)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
DJ Shadow – Stem (Blank Image Mix) from The DJ Shadow Remix Project (2010)