Last week my psychotic desire to see this town thrown into chaos was somewhat satiated. II Live Crew--finally un-banned in the USA and back with a vengeance--hit the Monterey shores. Lump all the Marilyn Manson, neo/pseudo-revolutionist punk groups of the past decade together and not one of them was as feared, hated and shunned as II Live Crew was in its day. Suddenly a shining light (like a squid boat) flooded Cannery Row and the group that rallied "responsible" adults behind Parental Warning labels kicked into action at Planet Gemini (of all places).

I would love to see II Live Crew play on the wharf sometime. See those highly pornographic lyrics echo into Pebble Beach and other overly tamed, local lukewarm spots. Chaos would ensue...and damn, that would be a beautiful thing. Then maybe we could really get something done around here--something like a sense of MoCo musical pride. Later...later...

This week, Planet Gemini pulls on its "Pikey" gloves again and hits us with a second round of rap during the club''s 11th anniversary run. The next two months will find Planet Gemini deviating a bit from the normal routine of salsa, deejay and comedy acts. Tonight (Thursday) hails the coming of another old-world hip-hop legend: Digital Underground.

Maybe you don''t remember much about the group, but whether you''re into music with bump or not, you have to remember "The Humpty Dance" featured on the groups first record, Sex Packets. Maybe you recall the lines "Do the Humpty Hump/Everybody do the Humpty Hump," supported by a whirling deep bass line that made you want to swing your butt in a circle. The song is undoubtedly about Digital Underground member Humpty Hump, who may be one of just a few musicians I''ve heard who is proud of his huge nose--and likes to tell everyone about it.

Digital Underground''s most recent record, Who Got the Gravy?, was released in 1998. It was interesting and filled with funky turnarounds and lyrics, but it wasn''t the right time for DU''s type of music. The late ''90s was a time for the Backstreet Boys, little not-so-innocent Britney, N''Sync and good looking "post-grunge" groups with perfect hair and boring lyrics.

Digital Underground has almost been like Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in a way, serving as a launching pad for myriad solo careers. Tupac Shakar skyrocketed out of the band''s ranks. DU does have a new CD, Future Rhythm, on the way.

Present group member Shock G is a well-known and well-respected producer whose efforts in the old analog realm of mixing and editing earns him deity status in my book (just try to mix samples without a computer sometime). And by the way, fellow band mate John Doe is not the same "John Doe" from the band X.

The group seems to be in a constant state of metamorphosis, which must explain how Digital Underground keeps its music packed with that I-want-to-hump energy found on old Parliament and Axiom Funk records.

Tonight (Thursday) at 9pm, Planet Gemini starts off with some regular old comics, pop/dance singer Sareena Paris opens, and sometime around 11pm, I predict, Digital Underground will "funking-hump" this town to its knees. Can ya dig it?

Tickets cost $20/general or $25/reserved. For more info, call 373-1617.