Free at Noon Flashback: Progressive pioneers Tortoise give post-rock an electronic twist

As fans filled into World Cafe Live, Tortoise walked on stage ready to deliver their one-of-a-kind instrumental rock sound. John McEntire’s drum set was placed front and center on the stage, making rhythm the focus as the band members alternated turns on instruments through the performance.

They kicked it off with “The Catastrophist” the title track of their newest album, which was released in January earlier this year. The song rides a wave between synthesizer tunes from the keys and heavy drum solos serving an insight as to how the rest of the album sounds. Their mixes maintain an electronic vibe rooted with a jazz and post-rock influence. While their sound remains unique, what made their performance interesting was the interchange of instruments between songs. One bass and guitar held steady, while three of the members would alternate between percussion, a second bass guitar, and three different sets of keys.

Tortoise will be staying in Philadelphia, playing at Underground Arts tonight. More information can be found at WXPN’s Concert Calendar. Listen back at today’s Free at Noon concert and check out the gallery of photos below.

Set list:

1. The Catastrophist
2. Ox Duke
3. Shake Hands With Danger
4. Prepare Your Coffin
5. Gesceap
6. Hot Coffee
7. Tesseract
8. At Odds with Logic