by Brian WeidyIn one of the most unique and innovative performances I've ever seen, guitarist Vernon Reid brought his multimedia presentation, "Artificial Afrika," to Dixon Place on the Bowery Friday night. Reid, best known for his work with Living Colour, is known for his lightning-fast guitar work, as well as his unique blend of styles, both of which were on display here.
The performance had a very casual feel, combining a series of short films with improvised spoken and musical numbers. The films, which were projected on the back wall, were made up of distorted, trippy images of Africa, creating a bizarre, surreal environment that befuddled me and the rest of the audience. At one point, Reid picked up a banjo while playing over a looped guitar lick while Akim Funk Buddha, a Zimbabwe-born freestyle rapper, danced around the stage. DJ Leon Lamont provided the backing beats.
The hour-long, multi-sensory performance might not have been my normal cup of tea, but it was certainly an experience. Four performances remain on February 17-18 and 24-25; tickets can be found here.