Jinn & Tonic

After my recent griping about limpid lounge jazz, I went to see Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dogs at Tonic on the Lower East Side. Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about. Pure fire and vitriol. Something like Mahavishnu Orchestra in a knockdown streetfight with Velvet Underground. Ribot, whom I've admired ever since encountering his angular stylings on Tom Waits' Rain Dogs album, rocked back and forth practically bent double, whipping out the most tortured licks this side of Albert Ayler. The octopus on drums thwacked anything within sight, often using a drum synth (or something) to alter the pitch of the percussion as he played. The bass player alternated between bass guitar and low end moog that made bottles rattle in the back of the room. The colors in their crayon box included free jazz, heavy rock, funk, delicate ambience, Cuban, and out-and-out noise.

This was the first time I'd been to Tonic and I was impressed with the venue. A fairly good-sized room and no one around me chattered endlessly when they should've been listening. There was some first rate graffiti in the restroom as well.