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By Dan Leone

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TINNITUS CUT MISSION of Burma down in their prime; guitarist Roger Miller was afflicted with chronic ringing in the ears, causing the trio to disband in 1983. Sure, there were other reasons – waning audience interest and slumping record sales in an era without much infrastructure to support independent acts – and Miller continued playing music on the ambient route with projects like Birdsongs of the Mesozoic. Over the years, hopes of a Mission of Burma reunion were dashed by the members, who continued to cite Miller's tinnitus. On discovering Rykodisc's 1988 reissue of the band's Ace of Hearts releases, I fantasized about such a reunion, even though it would probably necessitate a tour-worthy "cone of silence" for Miller. Well, my unpatented cone designs can be shelved, because after 20 years the Boston trio has reformed free of game-show technology (tape-loop manipulator Martin Swope, the fourth original member, declined to play and has been replaced by producer and Shellac bassist Bob Weston). This reunion has avoided the cynical sniping that other bands of Burma's era (1979-83) have had to withstand. Whereas many of the artists who set the standards for post-punk's experimental vision fell off mid-career trying to write pop songs, Burma's cool was cryogenically captured with an airtight recorded output. With their legacy of feedback-laden guitar, churning bass melodies, and cryptic lyrical content, they chart up there with Sonic Youth and the Minutemen as icons of indie rock ideology. It's nice to see them finally reaping some reward for their effort. Silkworm open. 9 p.m., 1805 Geary, S.F. $22.50. (415) 346-6000. (George Chen)