When first encountering the bizarre puzzle box of sounds emitted by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band in the late 1960s and '70s, casual listeners often assume that the inverted chords, cramped tempos and grunted rants were just a lot of random doodling dashed off by drugged-out hippies. The truth, of course, was that the late Captain, aka Don Van Vliet, worked out each intricately complex part for his group, and he had a reputation for being just as much of a perfectionist and strict disciplinarian as James Brown. His aptly named Magic Band had to be composed of fantastic musicians who were simultaneously patient and wildly inventive, such as singer-drummer John “Drumbo” French and bassist Mark “Rockette Morton” Boston, who lead a revelatory version of the old gang tonight.

Sun., April 6, 8 p.m., 2014
(Expired: 04/06/14)

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