Club d'Elf

Philadelphia Weekly

July 2, 2008

A-List

Club d’Elf, Orpheus, Fourth of July Dance Party, Pardon My Freedom and the Cat’s Meow: 40th Annual CFA Cat Show

»Musical Guests

Club d’Elf

Sat., July 5, 7:30pm. $11-$16. With Paradigm. World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. 215.222.1400. www.worldcafelive.com

In stark contrast to their fellow Massholes, Club d’Elf tend to keep to themselves. Despite hailing from the same area code as the majority of the insufferable Red Sox Nation and the resurrected Celtic Brigade, d’Elf regulars rarely go on the road looking to make noise in other cities. Purveyors of a unique meld of world jazz and tribal hip-hop, Club d’Elf have inundated downtown Beantown with their musical mastery for years while shunning the rest of us in a fashion that borders on self-sabotage. Stemming from a side project helmed by late Morphine frontman Mark Sandman, d’Elf originated as a revolving cast of musicians proudly including the likes of John Medeski, DJ Logic and Joe Manieri. Now a consistently evolving ensemble, Club d’Elf mesmerize Bostonians with a seemingly eternal bimonthly residency at the legendary Lizard Lounge, infusing elements of post-funk and smart turntablism into loose jazzy foundations. Bassist and bandleader Mike Rivard plays conductor and conjuror, leading his sonic soldiery through seamless transitions that leave genre boundaries faded and decapitated. Joining Rivard’s assault squad, G. Calvin Weston’s bombastic beats and Mat Manieri’s bowstrung feats duel before the backdrop of this all-too- exclusive engagement. (Joshua Valocchi)