ELECTRIC LADYLAND

Yoko Ono's only getting crazier, better

Comments (0) By Christopher R. Weingarten Tuesday, Feb 9 2010

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Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band's Between My Head and the Skywas easily the best record of 2009 made by someone who was recording in 1969. With a solid 40 years of awesomeness behind her (sorry, haters, no Beatle can claim that), Ono has stayed relevant and fun, not only because she skates on the avant-fringes but also because she clearly pays attention to her surroundings. For starters, her band is young and hip (the current Ono Band includes Cornelius, Cibo Matto's Yuka Honda, Yellow Magic Orchestra's Haruomi Hosono, and son Sean Lennon), and her music is raw, punky, infectious, danceable, and contemporary. Sky is basically an album by a 76-year-old where any song could be the Hype Machine addition of an energetic teenager. Ono attacks funky rock, blippy house, cosmic trance-outs, and even Slits-style reggae with a mix of ferocity and rapture. And, of course, she still puts the "Ono" in "onomatopoeia," coating everything in visceral warbles, explosive gurgles, throaty barks, and singing the larynx electric. Update: Due to popular demand for Tuesday night (which is now sold out), a special dress rehearsal show featuring Yoko Ono and her core band (Sean Lennon, Yuka Honda, and Cornelius) has been added for Monday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20-$65.
Mon., Feb. 15, 8 p.m.; Tue., Feb. 16, 8 p.m., 2010