23

FRIDAY

Sometimes it’s all about the vibe. According to the liner notes of its debut album, Polydemic, Ticklah is one guy who plays drums, organ, organ bass, keyboard bass, synth, Rhodes, clavinet, Wurlitzer, melodica, and tambourine. There’s also a boatload of guest instrumentalists who play everything from trombone to bongos to cowbells. When you get to Ticklah’s programming credits, you start to wonder what genre of music you’re dealing with. The band’s publicist has a lovely phone voice but is absolutely no help. She describes Ticklah’s sound as “jazz, fusion, dubby, reggae, um, triphop, very cool.” While Polydemic, as its title suggests, touches upon a variety of different styles, it’s all mellow. Perfect for a Friday after work at a smoky nightclub with the lights down low and drinks that flow. It’ll be, um, very cool. At 9 p.m. at State of the Union, 1357 U St. NW. $7. (202) 588-8810. (Neil Drumming)