Better halves

I've seen a bit of Dave Alvin before, at an earlier Bluesfest when it was still on the grounds of City Hall. That show was a bit louder and featured more kicking from Dave. In the intervening years he's mellowed a bit - if only temporarily. He acquired a band of top female session musicians, convened with the aid of steel guitar sorceress Cindy Cashdollar from a flock of acclaimed female session musicians. His other crew is The Guilty Men, so this one is The Guilty Women.

Here he is with the rhythm section of bassist extraordinaire Sarah Brown and drummer Lisa Pankratz.



The man himself.



Leaning action with Amy Farris and Sarah Brown. Or, as I'm sorry to say, the late Amy Farris. She passed away in October, just a few months after these photos were taken. She played with Alejandro Escovedo and Brian Wilson (not at the same time) among others. She's also backed Susanna Van Tassel, as has Pankratz.



And let us not forget Cindy Cashdollar, lap steel and pedal steel queen. Another Tassel vet, she's played with such varied folks as Graham Parker, Ryan Adams Leon Redbone, Asleep At The Wheel, The Manhattan Transfer and Bob Dylan.



Dave and Cindy work it on out.



Dave applauds his women.



More Brown! She has a couple of albums to her own name, and has also recorded with folks like Dr. John, Sue Foley, Barry Adamson, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Ian McLagan, Otis Rush, James Cotton and Memphis Slim, among others.



Dave frets!



Country-rocking action!



Lisa behind the kit.



Dave was most pleased to have Christy McWilson doing backup vocals. She's done a lot on the Seattle scene with The Young Fresh Fellows, Picketts, Squirells, Minus 5 ... even Mudhoney.



Singalong action!



There was a fair amount of sound coming from The Dead Weather's set, so after a few acoustic numbers Alvin turned to his trust Stratocaster to increase the volume a little.



Rhythm section action!



More Amy!



Faceoff action!



Farris also did some singing.



Whole lotta shakin' going on!



Not many kicks, but some definite bending.



A fine show, if a little sadder in memory. Then I headed off to the main stage to check out The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

• Show reminder: Animal Hospital, Aidan Baker (of Nadja fame), This Quiet Army and We Fled Cairo make some noise at 443 Kent St.; Torngat performs on the NAC's Fourth Stage; Not Even Death, The Cowards, Pectangular Fism, Autumns Fall, Temptress and Seen Through Your Eyes do it for the kids at Mavericks; Giant Hand is at Raw Sugar; Lights and Jets Overhead electro-pop into the Bronson Centre Theatre; Defined, Inire and Apparatus rock Cafe DeKcuf; Irene's hosts the Drew Nelson Band. Six-string savant M. Mucci, Musk Ox, and Extinct or Alive... perform at The Avant-Garde.