Concert Previews
Vieux Farka Toure; Vieux Farka Toure; has demonstrated the breadth of his talents by bringing his African desert blues guitar to the work of rock and jazz performers such as Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks, and John Scofield (on 2011's electric The Secret) and
Vieux Farka Touré
Vieux Farka Touré has demonstrated the breadth of his talents by bringing his African desert blues guitar to the work of rock and jazz performers such as Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks, and John Scofield (on 2011's electric The Secret) and with Israeli pianist Idan Raichel (on last year's The Tel Aviv Session). On the new Mon Pays (My Country), he demonstrates its depth. It's an explicit return to the traditions of his native Mali and a political statement in response to the anti-music policies of Islamic extremists. The mostly acoustic set also honors Touré's father, the great Ali Farka Touré, by covering his "Safare" and by extending to the next generation Ali's classic collaborations with kora master Toumani Diabaté. Many tracks feature the kora of Diabaté's son, Sidiki. Saturday night, Vieux Farka Touré brings his electric band to Delaware's Arden Gild Hall in a performance to be recorded for WHYY's On Canvas series.
- Steve Klinge
Deltron 3030
Deltron Event II, the long-awaited second album by Deltron 3030, takes place in the distant, dystopian future - "Stardate 3040," to be precise, as actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt tells us in a spoken intro. But in many ways, the band - made up of rapper Del The Funky Homosapien, producer Dan "The Automator" Nakamura, and DJ Kid Koala - is a blast from the past. Event II is the sequel to 2000's self-titled debut, which featured a boatload of guest artists, including Damon Albarn of Blur, who also appears on Event II, along with other luminaries, including the Lonely Island, Zach de la Rocha, and New York chef David Chang. The album doesn't deviate much in its musical approach from its predecessor, as it blends Koala's turntablist trickery, Nakamura's off-kilter beats, and Del's intricately absurdist rhyme schemes. Philadelphia is one of a handful of cities to which the trio are bringing not only their regular backup band but also a 16-piece ensemble known as the 3030 Orchestra.
- Dan DeLuca
Quasi
Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss have been divorced since 1995, but as Quasi, the Portland, Ore., indie-rockers have continued to work together, releasing six albums since splitting up. The newest, Mole City, finds drummer Weiss (also of Sleater-Kinney and Wild Flag) and Coomes (once of Heatmiser) once again working as a duo since the departure of bass player Joanna Bolme. The album is a frequently noisy, deceptively tuneful 24-song set, fired by Coomes' dark, droll sense of humor and the powerhouse playing of Weiss, who also steps up to the mic to sing the brittle and beautiful "R.I.P."
- Dan DeLuca
