POP MUSIC REVIEW : Bad Brains Remains a Potent Mix

Fireworks would have been redundant entertainment for the Fourth of July crowd packed into the Whisky on Tuesday, where rasta-punk eminence Bad Brains held forth with some extraordinary blasts of its metal-cum-reggae. The band, sporting its original, early-’80s lineup, rocketed through a generous set of mostly new material that was uplifting, exciting and explosive.

Singer H.R. took the stage looking like a mix of Haile Selassie and Sgt. Pepper, in a swirling cape and a bright, heavy-medaled military jacket. With a beatific smile fixed on his face throughout the show, he belted out new tunes such as “Thank Jah” and “Cool Mountaineers” in a voice that ranged from breathy whispers to falsetto squeals to cartoonish operatics.

The group swung from corkscrew metal riffs to deep dub grooves, at one point turning “Day Tripper” into a heady reggae excursion. Dynamics and invention kept every change of pace engaging.

For an encore, the band ripped through some older thrash favorites, including the speedy crowd-pleaser “Soul Craft.” The potent show fully justified the Bad Brains’ punk-legend status and demonstrated that it’s still a force to be reckoned with in this era of neo-punk revival.