American Music

Some local cities are proud of their place in musical history. Hawthorne housed the Beach Boys. Balboa prizes Dick Dale. But the road forks in Downey, with the lovable Carpenters going one way and the Blasters (featuring the occasionaly tempestuous collaborative efforts of Dave and Phil Alvin) heading down a more ravaged blacktop. Although the city is in no rush to lionize the Alvin brothers’ childhood home, the Blasters were a major part of the ’80s roots-revival, introducing a second generation of greasers faster and louder than the first. Their chugging rock, led the past 20 years by Phil, is steeped in the sounds of more humid climates and ranges from pompadoured hip-shakers to Longhairs’ second line. Wrap your cigarettes in your sleeve and bring the old lady.
Sat., Sept. 13, 8 p.m., 2008