Wu-Tang Clan

On "Bells of War," one of the smoothest tracks on the Wu-Tang Clan's baroque masterpiece Wu-Tang Forever, members of the nine-man hip-hop collective speculate that listeners might not understand this complex album until 2000, adding that this would be the year the crew would "come back with a comet." While some hip-hop heads finally piece together the intricacies of that 1997 epic, the Wu-Tang Clan has taken its act to the road, a phenomenon that's slightly less rare than the appearance of the aforementioned celestial body. Look for Wu-Tang to perform such all-group showcases as "Triumph" and "Protect Ya Neck" as well as a few gems from the members' solo albums. Unfortunately, Ol' Dirty Bastard, who is still in lockdown, won't make the trip. Cappadonna, the group's unofficial 10th man, moves into the starting nine in his absence. Still, even missing its most manic member, the Wu-Tang Clan should deliver an intense live show, one that those in attendance might not fully appreciate until, say, 2003. Living up to ODB's infamous impromptu Grammys claim that "Wu-Tang is for the children," this is an all-ages show. Local lyricists DVS Mindz will be the first to bring the ruckus.