Over the years, Tom Waits has made a name for himself by exploring the dark underbelly of American society and culture, telling evocative tales of dimly lit bars, seedy back alleys, and all the unsavory characters that go along with it. With his distinctly raspy, gravelly voice, he’s always had the uncanny ability to suck the listener directly into his stories, so you’re not just hearing his songs, you’re feeling them as well. A prime example of that comes a little more than midway through his classic 1985 album Rain Dogs in the form of “9th and Hennepin”, as he delivers a compellingly dark spoken word piece that paints a bleakly haunting picture that can’t help but send a chill up your spine. This performance from his 1988 concert film Big Time captures all that eerie energy magnificently. Dig it:
