The unpredictable Tricky plays at Avalon

Perhaps one of the most unpredictable artists of the decade played at the Avalon this past Thursday. The venue was brimming with excited anticipation to witness the intense performance of Adrian Thaws, better known as Tricky. His fall concert series in the US is part of the world-wide promotional tour of his fourth and latest solo effort, Juxtapose. Surprisingly, Tricky and his band, which included singer Kioka, opened the set with their rendition of "Glory Box," a song by fellow trip-hoppers and Bristolians Portishead, followed by a very slow version of Blondie's "Heart of Glass." Tricky did not shy away from older material from Pre-Millenium Tension, but went even further back to "Karmacoma," a track he recorded for Massive Attack in 1994.