Hide the Wah-Wah Pedals!

Then the boy atop whose head a muskrat seems to have crawled and died roared back last year with his career-best Live in Texas album, an exciting reprisal of much of his best material, performed even more passionately than on their studio releases. It was among the most surprising and heartening comebacks of the decade. And suddenly, the drawers on my fine, fat ass were nice and snug and purty again.

THE EIGHTH ANNUAL BIG TIME BLUES FESTIVAL AT GEMMRIG PARK, 7390 e. CARSON ST., LONG BEACH, (562) 426-0761; WWW.BIGTIMEBLUES.COM. JULY 23, DOORS OPEN AT 10 A.M. $20 ADVANCE; $25 AT THE GATE; KIDS UNDER 12 GET IN FREE; LYLE LOVETT AT THE SUN THEATRE, 2200 E. KATELLA AVE., ANAHEIM, (714) 712-2700. JULY 23, 8 P.M.; July 24, 8:30 p.m. $56.50-$65.