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Back in ye olde mid-1990s, these Chicago post-rock pioneers seemed like the most visionary band in all of Indieland: No vocals! Two bass players! A 20-minute album opener! A decade and a half later, Tortoise's music feels somewhat less groundbreaking; compared to in-your-face new acts like Sleigh Bells, they even seem a bit old-fashioned. Still, as demonstrated on last year's tellingly titled Beacons of Ancestorship, the band's steadfast devotion to groove continues to yield rewards: "Northern Something" and "Monument Six One Thousand," to cite two down-and-dirty examples, are among the funkiest space-prog jams they've laid down yet, while the punk-jazz fuzz bomb "Yinxianghechengqi" makes you wonder what might've happened had Pat Metheny ever sat in with Bad Brains. Onstage Tortoise tend to emphasize their jammy side; expect a number of lengthy trips tonight.
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