I have to admit that I was always kind of a peripheral fan of Zero 7, like everyone else in the world, I loved “In The Waiting Line” and songs like “Home” seeped into my subconscious without my permission. When I initially found out that they were playing a show on Thanksgiving Day, I was excited, but didn’t know if I would go out of my way to see them. Well, the fates stepped in and made my decision for me. I won tickets through Brightest Young Things (I never win anything!), and who passes up a free concert? Certainly not I. Stuffed with turkey and wine, I biked down in the miserable rain. The place was packed, way more people came out on a holiday than I ever expected, and I didn’t have to wait long to understand why.

Their set started off kind of low key, slow and calm, exactly what I expected. There were two female vocalists (who perfectly contrasted each other), and a few acoustic guitar jams, and a myriad of dudes running around, playing drums, keyboard, and fiddling with the sampler. I thought to myself, “Hmm, what a perfect show for a Thanksgiving evening”, I was already impressed. Little did I know what was yet to come. The singers left the stage, and things really started to heat up. One guy was working like Dr. Frankenstein in the laboratory, only this time on a monster sampler. The thundering bass began to supplant my heartbeat, and slowly, everything began to build to a level of electro-insanity, one I didn’t know Zero 7 was capable of. Had everyone not been so full, it could have easily turned into an epic dance party. Ten minute long jams were my favorite parts of the show, and not just because watching the performers dance was adorable, but largely because the sound quality in that space was incredible. The vocalists returned and everything came together in perfect harmony (pun, intended). They took up the tempo, and live sampling, and percussion added a whole other level of wonder. It’s always refreshing to see a group of musicians who are not only amazingly talented, but extremely passionate and invested. Though they ran through their more popular songs, I was more interested in their new material (prior to this show, I didn’t even know they had a new album out). At times it was like being in a dream, surrounded by so much positive energy. Not even the annoying guy that I gave my extra ticket to (and kept hitting on me) could bring me down from the high that was this show. They returned for the most epic encore, featuring a stunning acoustic version of “In The Waiting Line”, followed by an awe-inspiring instrumental jam. I immediately bought their album upon returning home, and while it is just as perfect as I remembered it, their live performance, the full body experience that it was, is what really makes it for me. You should definitely go buy it all the same (and absolutely see them live if you can!). Best show I’ve seen in months, and I will never be just a peripheral fan again.

Zero 7 – Mr McGee
Zero 7 – Swing

Also, this is the 111th post here at D.I.D., that’s got to count for something, right?