Plastic People Break Free on U.S. Tour

When Plastic People of the Universe formed in Prague some 30 years ago, the Soviet Union had just annexed Czechoslovakia. The new regime took a dim view of Western culture, especially art forms founded on freedom of expression such as rock and jazz--two integral ingredients of the Plastic People’s music.

The group persisted despite persecution and incarceration, managing to make several recordings that earned the band a following in its native land and, to a lesser extent, outside it. PPU disbanded in 1984, but re-formed last year to celebrate its 30th anniversary and treat its faithful fans to music that can now be performed without censure.

The group is on its first U.S. tour, and about 130 people turned out for the sextet’s appearance at Spaceland on Saturday. While the club was far from capacity, the audience brimmed with warm enthusiasm during an hour-plus set that ranged from mesmerizing progressive rock grooves to volatile outbursts of free jazz.

At times the improvisation got quite heady: One song evoked images of a caged bird, with Vratislav Brabenec’s saxophone chirping, twittering and honking against clattering rhythms. The intoxicating sounds eventually lured a fair portion of the audience onto the dance floor to commune more fully with the music, making it a truly liberating experience.

Also liberating in a quirkier way was opener Bobby Conn, a Pulp-like outfit specializing in an oddly engaging mixture of disco kitsch, glam-rock and tongue-in-cheek televangelism.