Critic's Choice

Bad Brains, Tuesday, February 22, at the Bluebird Theater, with Fitz of Depression and Gina Go Faster, are back with all of the band's original players after a four-year spiritual retreat. Whatever cosmic realms the bandmembers may have trespassed during that time, musically, they're doing what they've always done. Combining the sounds of inner-city warfare with the dime-a-day stylings of vocalist HR, the music permeates the air with that fresh minty scent of Rastafarian praise. With a career that's longer than its members' dreadlocks, the band sonically resembles a DJ spinning Black Flag's Everything Went Blackand Marley's Legend simultaneously; it's rottweilerian hardcore smattered with Jah flavorings. Now as ever, the bass/drum combo of Earl Hudson and Daryll Jennifer hits harder than a curbside face plant, and you can count on the high-voltage guitar work of Doctor Know to keep the spirit of electricity high during the show. -- Mike Engstrom