Dave Alvin with special guest Chuck Prophet

Dave Alvin returns to the Shannon Center, and he’s bringing Chuck Prophet to open the show!

A singer, songwriter, and guitarist with a keen eye for the details of American life and a powerful and passionate performing style, Dave Alvin (The Blasters, X, the Knitters, and more) helped to kick-start the American roots rock scene in the early ’80s with the band the Blasters, and has since gone on to a career as a solo performer, songwriter, producer, and sideman that’s been as well respected as it is eclectic. Born and raised in Downey, California, Dave Alvin and his brother Phil Alvin were avid music fans since childhood, immersing themselves in vintage blues, country, and rockabilly sounds. Their passion led to them founding the Blasters, who played roots-inspired rock & roll with the energy and fire of punk rock, in 1979. With Dave as guitarist and principal songwriter, the Blasters became stars in Los Angeles and earned a devoted fan following internationally after the release of their self-titled 1981 album for Slash. Dave left the Blasters after their 1985 album, Hard Line, and launched his solo career with 1987’s Every Night About This Time. Health problems sidelined Alvin for a spell, but after Dwight Yoakam scored a hit with Alvin’s song “Long White Cadillac,” he returned to action with 1991’s Blue Blvd. He made a compelling acoustic effort with 1994’s King of California, while he doubled down on his interest in traditional folk and rural blues with a pair of critically acclaimed releases, 1998’s Blackjack David and 2000’s Public Domain: Songs from the Wild Land. Through the 2000s, Alvin moved back and forth between electric and acoustic projects, and in 2014 he reunited with his brother Phil for Common Ground: Dave & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy. He documented another memorable collaboration with 2018’s Downey to Lubbock, recorded with Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

For tickets, contact the Ruth B. Shannon Center For The Performing Arts.