The last claps of Blue Spark and Flame's thunder were fading into the evening cool as I crossed Monroe into The Bug Jar Wednesday night. The double bill's star attraction, Monotonix, was setting up in the middle of the floor. Except for a few stray road cases, and some Blue Spark and Flame shrapnel, the stage was empty. The hype around this band was so immense - just from fans I'd run into days before - that it was beginning to resemble a threat.

Now, I've seen a lot of shows - a lot. I've watched people on and off stage completely lose their minds. And I've seen some pretty heavy duty energy over the years. Hell, The U.S. Bombs just came through town, and The UV Rays live here. Punk is usually a start-off point when describing bands that throw a saddle on the chaos and ride. You see bodies flying through the air, hear a primal scream over primitive drums and crude guitar, and you think punk, right?

Well, Monotonix is not a punk band. Monotonix is intense beyond words. Monotonix is a magnificent tantrum. The current state of affairs in the band's native Tel Aviv is no doubt volatile, restrictive, and scary. And the art that's inspired by that is just so intense, it's useless to try to contain it. The band's rage was only matched by a big troublemaking streak. Stomping about and flailing his arms as if imitating a chicken, the lead singer wailed in a non-stop freak-out. The drummer set his kit on fire, and the guitar player covered all the sonics, top to bottom. Best show I've seen in a long, long time.

Buddy Guy brought the blues to Water Street Music Hall deep-dish Chicago style Monday night. This cat swaggers with so much class, that he even looked elegant in a track suit. Guy played every notch on the volume dial from a whimper to a roar, while singing as if he could barely contain himself. He dug into the dirty blues, some Muddy Waters, some John Lee Hooker, and was working his way into the crowd as I split. I would've stayed longer, but his soulful take on Otis Redding's "Dreams To Remember" put a fire in my girl's pants, and I had to go home and put it out.