Tuesday, Oct. 5; Launchpad (21 and over, 8 p.m.): All the background I should really be able to get away with printing in a successful effort to get you to this show goes something like this: “Dave Alvin cofounded the Blasters.” But I wouldn't be doing my job.
In cofounding the seminal Los Angeles roots band with his brother Phil in 1979, Alvin quite literally helped launch the genre we now know as Americana. Employing equal parts rockabilly and blues, and infusing that combination with punk rock-like energy, the Blasters have oft been compared to L.A. contemporaries X but Alvin and the Blasters always kept themselves firmly planted in T-Bone Walker's backyard.
These days, Alvin is focused on his solo career, and his latest album, Ashgrove (Yep Rock!) is testament to the fact that this godfather of modern Americana has continued to absorb the best of blues, rockabilly and country music. And he's still got an amazing knack for whipping off timeless, instant classics.
