Andre Nickatina is back in Bend tonight.

That’s not very specific is it? Who is Andre Nickatina? Maybe a cousin of mine back for his annual summer visit? A guy with a successful small business — say, a bustling breakfast spot — in Portland and a modest vacation home in Bend? A friend of a friend who rolls through town every once in a while looking for a party and needing a place to sleep?

That last one’s actually not far from the truth. Nickatina is a veteran rapper from the Bay Area who has been putting out records and playing shows for so long he’s sort of a de facto legend of the underground at this point. His music’s not really for me, but he has a sizable fan base in Bend that must come out and see him every time he stops here, or else he probably wouldn’t stop here once or twice a year.

Go to his website, www.andrenickatina.com, click on “Music player” and play the song “Jungle.” That’s an amazing beat, and the often unremarkable Nickatina rises to the occasion on the mic. That’s the guy that’s back in Bend tonight.

Andre Nickatina, with TNC 9ER and Chandler P; 8 tonight, doors open 7 p.m.; $24 plus fees in advance (ticket outlets listed at the website below), $29 at the door; Domino Room, 51 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend; www.randompresents.com.

— Ben Salmon