Trip Hop at Lincoln Hall is Some Tricky Business

By Michele Lenni in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 8, 2010 8:20PM

Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws, better known as "Tricky" to most fans, left an indelible mark on the music world 15 years ago with his game-changing 1995 classic album Maxinquaye, which won England's coveted Mercury Prize and was named NME's album of the year. Tricky also had his hands in one of our favorite groups here at the Chicagoist offices, Massive Attack; having rapped on their critically acclaimed debut Blue Lines.

In years following his raging solo success, Tricky has released a half dozen solo records, acted in major motion pictures like 1997s The Fifth Element and spoken out about racial injustice in the music world. Though he has continued to remain a force, some would say that the artist's impact has dwindled, becoming more like the ghost of '90s past than a relevant, prolific artist. Even though most critics have been, shall we say, harsh, on Tricky over the past decade there is one thing they cannot take away from him: his clout and talent as a live artist.

With the release of his latest record, Mixed Race, Tricky decided to take his act to the US with a new singer and new band members. The album is a super eclectic mix of the many musical artists that touched him growing up in Bristol, England, from Parliament-Funkadelic to T-Rex. Though the album is a decidedly more pop-driven than his previous work, the content (a weighted commentary on race relations) pulls and tugs back and forth, making it an interesting listen.

Though the album is more solid then a great deal of his vision over the past ten years, we still long for the sexual tension of songs on Maxinquaye like Aftermath or Suffocated Love. We hope that he brings brings back a lot of these favorites at his live show at Lincoln Hall this coming Monday, December 13.

Tricky plays Monday, December 13 at Lincoln Hall, 2424 N Lincoln Ave., 8 p.m., $20, 21+

UPDATE: Unfortunately, due to inclement weather in Canada and northern Michigan, the show is CANCELLED. We're very sorry for the inconvenience.Ticket holders have been contacted via email.