One of my favorite bands, Son Volt, is playing a show at the Mystic Theatre in Petaluma on March 31. The main creative force behind Son Volt is Jay Farrar, formerly a member of the influential “alt-country” band Uncle Tupelo, whose other main creative force, Jeff Tweedy, later formed the band Wilco. Jay Farrar’s solo albums are more acoustic (they are categorized as “Americana”, although I’m not exactly sure what that means), while Son Volt is more rocking, stripped down to electric guitars, bass, and drums, sounding at times almost like Neil Young’s Crazy Horse band. Jay Farrar and Son Volt are very talented, and very satisfying, and it is somewhat of a mystery to my why they haven’t gotten more attention. If you like “alt-country” type (straightforward) rock and roll, you should check out this show … we are fortunate to be able to see such an excellent band in such a small (and close) venue.
