The Orb

Wasn't quite sure what to expect. I bought my first Orb album "Ultraworld" around '95 and have been a fan ever since. But I never got to see them live. This show was amazing and so was the Howard Theater venue in DC! Sound was excellent, but the music was incredible! They should be recordin and mixing all of these shows and at least making them available for sale on their site the way Phish does. The shows are that good. If they had played the Howard threes nights in a row, I would've gone. For those a little less familiar with the Orb, the shows are dancey and less abstract (relatively speaking) than their records. The Orb is living music history, though. Highly recommended!

Pretty excellent all in all. A bit more on the beat side for this show. Kind of surprised me. Only 4 stars because after watching Amon Tobin ISAM tour set the mark so high.

I absolutely love this band. This was my first time seeing them live, and their performance was flawless. Their unparalleled uniqueness, brilliance and obscure sounds came thru at this show all throughout the night. Can't wait to see them again...

The last time I saw the ORB they didn't come on until nearly midnight. This show started at a very civilized 8:30 and ran until about 10:30. Two hours of bliss! You cannot fully appreciate an ORB show without actually attending one!

I've love The Orb ever since discovering UFOrb bac in the early '90s. I was thrilled they came to Boston, I had never seen them before. The live show was wonderful. It was a treat to watch Fehlmann dancing and jamming as he made magic with his iMac, and to watch the wizard Paterson perform inscrutable twists of dials and knobs to make the righteous sounds flow. I arrived early -- doors opened at 8, but The Orb did not start playing till 9:30 -- which allowed me to stand right at the edge of the stage. Awesome! The sound system is brilliant. Just what you want: bass that moves your entire body, treble that does not screech. The video show was entertaining but not distracting. There were a few ravers in the crowd but mostly geeky New Englanders like me, people whose idea of totally surrendering to the music amounts to lightly bopping or swaying. Everyone was very respectful and friendly. The Orb were clearly having a good time, smiling and joking with each other onstage as they played. My only regret is that they're not here doing live shows in Boston every week -- I'd be there, every time!! COME BACK!!!

Once again, The ORB put on a great show. It was great to hear songs from the bands most recent release Moonbuilding 2073 Ad. Plus the tracks with Lee Scratch Perry, Perpetual Dawn (Ultrabass II), The Blue Room, Little Fluffy Clouds, etc. I'd like to mention, it was a great crowd. Everybody standing together, getting along with one another, whilst having fun listening to The ORB.

The Orb never fail to put on an incredible show, and this was no different. With a new album out they played 2 new tracks and then a bunch of classics. The place was nowhere near as full as it should have been for this legendary act, but the Howard Theater is a lovely venue with a great sound system. I had two cocktails and stood listening to one of my favorite acts. A wonderful evening....

The show was fantastic. I do wish the set was longer and the audio system a little louder, but I can't give anything less than 5 stars. With Moon building, Paterson and Fehlmann have truly hit a sweet spot between their styles. If they keep going in this direction they can't go wrong. Marsbuilding 3412 AD?

State Theater was a perfect venue to see The Orb. I prefer smaller facilities for Live Shows. I did not see the two opening acts, but upon arriving @ 10:30, The Orb were just starting their set. They played for 90 minutes, including an encore. Their performance was as expected, excellent. A good time was had by all!

Considering The Orb were one of the first electronics bands to ever land in my cd and vinyl collection in 1992, I was psyched to see them. Groundbreaking tracks that to this day still make their way into my sets nearly a quarter century later. The opening dj did alright: kept the crowd happy, was entertaining, and set The Orb up nicely. The set from The Orb on the other hand, was filled with miscues that were jarring. So much so, many of us left early. I did decide to stay... Just to hear them out \u2014 out of respect. If you're going to check them out, I hope they are 'on.' For $25 I would of rather gone to see Rabbit in the Moon playing that same night.

I've listened to the Orb for years and the live show is a must see for any fan. The feeling of the music was like a pleasant sauna after a walk in the snow. I just loved the show and would love to see the Orb again. The visual show and set list was great. I was impressed to see the music made live with the samples and mixing. Great show.

Quite simply, the best concert I have ever seen. Absolutely mind boggling. I loved every second of it. Any music fan should see these guys live, given the opportunity.

I've seen The Orb quite a few times and I have to say they were pretty amazing this time around after all these years. I hope they come back around again sooner than later!

It was an incredible night out. I don't get out to as many gigs as I used to. Saw Spiritualized in September which was really great, but The Orb made me leave all my troubles at home. I danced my ass off and felt one with the music. The team were completely on their game and really enthusiastic. Their good energy spread and stuck.

Probably the best electronic band ever, let all the kids go see tiesto. Orb is cerebral ambient dub and no one does it better. The music was loud but not ear damaging loud, thank you sound guy. Great show, would have liked an encore though!

amazing music . some technical video problems. the video was pretty good, but could have been better. the music was the best the bartender in the back sucked

I've been listening to ORB since 2000. Not as long as some, but still quite a chunk of time. I saw them in 2006 at the 9:30 Club and it was a letdown, to be honest. It was awesome finally seeing ORB but I felt that the show they put on left a lot to be desired. They almost came back in 2009, but the tour got cancelled. So when I heard they were finally making their way back to Washington DC I knew I had to be there. I had never been to the Howard Theater before, so I splurged on valet parking and ended up getting a spot literally right in front of the theater. Pretty awesome so far but it gets better. As I was waiting for my keys from the attendant, Thomas Fehlmann from ORB came outside to smoke and struck up a conversation based on my old faded ORB shirt from 2005. I was talking to one of my idols, albeit nervously and awkwardly. Needless to say that made my night (up to that point). The show itself was everything I could have hoped for and more. Being a 25th Anniversary tour, almost all of the songs they played were from their early to mid 90's period, which happens to be my favorite ORB era. There were no slow moments in the set. Alex and Thomas moved fluidly from song to song for two hours, mixing in personal favorites such as Slug Dub, Plateau, Toxygene, and Towers of Dub. What else can I say? Orb did NOT disappoint. Unfortunately, I have to take each chance to see them as a blessing because its anybody's guess as to when they will return. I am supremely happy I was able to see them tear it up proper ORB style once in my life. And to be in a room filled with people who are also fans of this obscure and weird music, to hear and experience the concert together, is an experience that is pretty much priceless.

but this show started on time!! I am seeing that more and more and I like it. They came on a little after 9pm and went off a little before 11 pm, and NO BREAK. They did cover for each other so they could use the toilet at one point. Most people got there after 10, so they missed most of it and then booed[?] . Sorry folks, We got a 2 hour show! I was really worried that this would not transfer well to live, but I was wrong. The energy was incredible and non-stop. It was really a captivating show. Reworked versions of their classics and a technically solid show. We looked at or watches when it was over and were amazed it went on that long, seemed like an hour. I loved it and would go see them again tomorrow if I had the chance.

I've been listening to The Orb for 23 years and it was great to finally see them. 25 years of great music at once! Totally worth it.

Excellent synthesizing from a 2 guy band. I was hoping maybe David Gilmour would be a surprise guest.