Forget the Gorillaz–MC Chris is the real cartoon character of hip-hop, and not just because he plays them on Cartoon Network. His voice has a shrill quality that sounds like the squeal ejected by those animated creatures in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, who, if you’ll recall, were dispatched by being dunked into a vat of acid. This, of course, is the kind of trivia that MC Chris fans will know, as his appeal falls squarely on the lenses of four-eyed geeks everywhere. If nerdcore has a king, he’s it. While MC Chris has a slight tough-guy edge to him, it’s as affected as his cool-guy status–and that’s just fine. His work is nearly free of malice, and he doesn’t want you to be scared of him anyway. All ages show.

Tue., Oct. 14, 8 p.m., 2008