I have always said to anyone who will listen that Saul Williams puts on the best show I've ever seen and last friday at Martyrs (Chicago) I was reminded why. First off, nothing pleased me more than seeing his DJ CX KiDTRONiK take the stage in a spiderman costume. A few minutes later, Saul followed and it suddenly made sense why we waited almost an HOUR after the opening band in extremely hot and crowded conditions. From top to bottom, he was wearing outlandish furry boots, black pants covered in stars, and a flashy military jacket all topped off with a face full of crazy war paint and a headdress of colorful feathers.

Truth be told, he could have been wearing a clown outfit and he still would have commanded the awe and respect of every single person in the room, but as it turns out, the costume really did add to his show.

Most of the night, the stage was very dimly lit, as Saul flashed back and forth like a Native warrior charging toward the fight of his life--the image really was electrifying. (especially when he climbed off stage into the audience and went totally nuts. wow.)

Saul Williams may be the most captivating performer I have EVER seen, no exaggeration. Something about him instantly demands your attention and holds it. It's because he has something worth hearing and he knows it and we know it, so we pay attention and the end of the night we leave a little more enlightened than we were before.