By DCist contributor Abby Lavin

Fans may know Keith Thompson as “Sinister 6000,” “Fly Ricky the Wine Taster,” “Funk Igniter Plus,” or another one of his 50-odd stage personas. But for his show last night at the Black Cat, he was billed simply as “Dr. Octagon,” Thompson’s most critically acclaimed alter-ego. Confused yet?

As it turned out, the Bronx-born MC came to the stage not as Dr. Octagon, but as Kool Keith, his original moniker and the one under which he joined old-school rap trailblazers the Ultramagnetic MCs back in 1984. The evening at the Black Cat was heavy on old-school vibes: with his Kangol hat and gold chain, Thompson appeared to be channeling LL Cool J circa 1992. In the self-referential world of hip hop, it is telling that even Thompson repeatedly referred to himself as “Kool Keith.” Wait a sec, I thought we were at a Dr. Octagon show?

Manic raps over futuristic, synth-heavy beats have made the Dr. Octagon persona popular across all categories: from techno lovers to emo kids to underground hip hop connoisseurs. But aside from a scant few Dr. Octagon classics (including a killer remix of the 1996 hit, “Blue Flowers”), Thompson spent the evening performing Kool Keith songs: old standards like, “G-Spot,” and “(Spankmaster)Take Off Your Clothes” and passing porno mags around the audience. If anyone was on a first date at the Black Cat last night, it was must’ve been mighty awkward.

Notably absent was Dan “The Automator” Nakamura, the producer who has given Dr. Octagon his signature sound. Instead, Thompson had to make due with his old friend Kutmasta Kurt on the turn-tables. Kurt’s lackluster beats left something to be desired, but Kool Keith’s energy was infectious, and even the hipsters who had come out to see Dr. Octagon didn’t go home disappointed.