NEON THIS WEEK

Wu-Tang Clan at House of Blues

You never know who's going to show up, as the group is more volatile than an agitated fault line. But that's the allure of the Wu-Tang Clan: shrouding gritty, bullet-ridden New York City hip-hop in Far Eastern mysticism, the nine-man troupe always has been pointedly unpredictable and hard to decipher.

As the group tours in support of their first new album in six years, the cold, compelling "8 Diagrams," it's all but impossible to handicap who will actually take the stage when the Wu hits town. Just know that they'll hit it hard.

See the group at 8 p.m. Thursday at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Tickets are $42-$60; call 632-7600.

-- JASON BRACELIN