The music-loving masses are more than willing to accept avant-garde experimentation, as long as it comes wrapped in wicked dance beats. Mahjongg, a self-consciously kooky collective whose members are from Chicago and Columbia, Missouri, enjoys obtuse wordplay and inscrutable song structures, but it also breaks barriers through the sheer sonic force of its seismic rhythms. The groove-driven group draws comparisons to Talking Heads not only because it's a white coed band that incorporates Afro-pop elements without embarrassing itself but also because of its roughly even punk-to-funk ratio. Saturday's show, studded with songs from the upcoming release Raydoncong, should generate more booty-shaking action than any club gig in town, combined with so much compositional complexity that listeners could pass a course in music theory after they march their sweat-soaked bodies out the door at the end of the evening.
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