THE BAD PLUS AND MARC RIBOT’S CERAMIC DOG. Thalia Hall, Chicago Illinois, June 9, 2023.

Concerts can be hit and miss. We go to the band to see one act with the hope that the other featured acts are worth the time and effort to pay attention to. Sometimes they are. Other times not so much.

The best concerts give you multiple reasons to be excited about being there. They’re the kind of shows where the opening act is every bit as exciting as the headliner, regardless of whether or not you’re familiar with the artist. For example, one of the best shows I’ve ever attended was at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. A post-rock oriented band called Gates opened the show. I was absolutely thrilled by what I heard. The band I came to see, Bent Knee, was the middle act. They were, of course, spectacular. The headliner was a band I’d never heard of called The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die. One minute I don’t know a note of their music. The next I’m going home with their latest CD and a t-shirt. It was a dream concert.

I was familiar with The Bad Plus, having seem them in St. Louis some four years ago. They took jazz and turned it on its collective ear in the most creative ways. The opening act was a guitarist named Marc Robot. This delighted my friends, while I was completely unaware of his work. Like so many others I’ve seen live in a state of personal musical ignorance, he has worked with many artists I already admire like Bill Frissell, Mary Halverson, and John Zorn. That’s all the resume I needed to look forward to his set.

Thalia Hall is a great room, and the stage was set up in the middle of the room. This meant both bands would be playing “in the round.” It was quite the brilliant idea. The crowd surrounded the stage just like they were supposed to, and the format worked like a charm.

Ribot and his trio, The Ceramic Dog, took the stage first. They wasted no time ripping into songs led by Ribot’s raw, aggressive guitar tone that peeled the paint of the walls. The rest of the band slipped in right behind him, maintaining the same level of intensity.

Shazad Ismaily is a more than capable bassist, while Ches Smith held everything down from behind his drum kit, which had the highest-placed crash cymbal I’ve ever seen!

The band is touring behind their forthcoming album Connection. Ribot doesn’t sing as much as he demands with his voice, making the songs feel like a call to action. And let’s face it — the man is a guitar GOD! It was truly a sound to behold. The band’s set went by way too quickly. They should be considered co-headliners as opposed to the support act.

Speaking of which, The Bad plus really brought it to the stage as well. They were a remarkably engaging quartet, bouncing off one another with aggressive grace and precision.

The last time I saw this band, they were a trio with a piano. Now bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King have eliminated the piano and added Ben Monder on guitar and Chris Speed on tenor sax.

The songs and arrangements were air-tight. The big picture was important, but remaining in the musical moment was even more crucial.

The Bad Plus play with more of a jazz foundation, but they found more than enough room for each member to express himself freely, helping to propel each piece to its final destination.

This was, indeed, an evening of high-quality music. We definitely got our money’s worth. And not enough can be said about the placement of the stage. It truly took the experience to a different level.

I’ll be diving deeply into these band’s back catalog along with the new material. I’m sure I’ll wind up with quality notes stuck in my head.

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