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Thurs. March 4 His dad made a tribute album to one of his musical heroes, country outlaw and sad-song master, the late Townes Van Zandt. He got honored by getting "Townes" as his middle name. He is Justin Townes Earle, offspring of Steve and he's re leasing his second disc "Midnight at the Movies," in early March and playing Great Scott Thursday March 4, with Joe Pug opening. How much is Justin a chip off the old block? In "Mama's Eyes" he sings of having his mama's eyes, but "I am my father's son/Never known when to shut up/I ain't foolin' no one/I am my father's son." Next verse: "We don't see eye to eye/I'll be first to admit I never tried/It sure hurts, it hurts sometimes/But we don't see eye to eye." And then,"I went down the same road as my old man/I was younger then." Yes, this Earle, 28, sounds wise beyond his years. (He couldn't have followed his dad's path two much or otherwise there'd be more drugs, jail, recovery, guns and the rest.) Justin Earle fits comfortably into the Americana vein, where country and rock meet on subtle sublime territory. (This ain't country as arena rock, the way it's so misconstrued on the big stages of the land.) "With Can't Hardly Wait," Earle covers the Replacements' Paul Westerberg on "Midnight." The music has a back-porch rural feel about it. Fiddle, steel guitar and mandolin are featured instruments. The mood shifts, but it's generally contemplative and low-key. Earle isn't busting down doors here. He's singing the kind of music that his namesake would be proud of. Tickets: $12. Gets underway around nine. It's part of Mark Kates' Fenway Recordings sessions gigs, which is zeroing in on the 100th show curated by the MGMT/Mission of Burma manager and Fenway Recordings head honcho. 1222 Commonwealth Ave., Allston, 617-734-5402 www.greatscottboston.com |
