Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore (Almost Acoustic Duo)

Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore are playing McGonigel's Mucky Duck on Friday, December 4, as their Almost Acoustic Duo. It's a reunion six years after their collaboration Downey to Lubbock, and they're bringing the same pairing back to the stage: Alvin, a Grammy winner, and Gilmore, a Grammy nominee.

The set pulls from the same ground they covered on that record, which they describe as bridging their roots in California and Texas. The sound blends cosmic folk, R&B, blues, and reggae, and more than half the songs were penned or co-written by the two of them. Among those is the bluesy "Blind Owl," alongside Butch Hancock's "Roll Around" and a reggae-inflected take on Blind Willie McTell's "Broke Down Engine." Gilmore's "Trying to Be Free" dates back more than 50 years. The album was recorded primarily in Austin with their touring band and includes a tribute to blues legends Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee.

There are two shows that night: an early show at 6 PM and a late show at 8 PM or 8:30 PM, so you can pick whichever fits your evening. Both are at McGonigel's Mucky Duck in Houston.