Austin City Limits is released on CD and DVD
Dave Alvin and New West Records have just released a brand new DVD and companion CD as part of Austin City Limit's "Live from Austin TX" series. This exclusive set features his previously unreleased complete 1999 performance from the award winning Austin City Limits television show. Tracks include KING OF CALIFORNIA, BORDER RADIO, FOURTH OF JULY and a medley of JUBILEE TRAIN, Do-RE-ME, and PROMISED LAND and more favorites from the HighTone records years. It's available as a set or individually.

Phil Alvin, Dave Alvin, and John Bazz remember

Demoines, Iowa at the Simon Este Amphitheatre - 7/22/99
The Setting: A concert on the Demoines River in midsummer with bugs flying around everywhere. Half way through the set, Dave stopped and said:

     "I hate to stand up here and complain, but I think that every bug on the Demoines river is on this stage with us tonight. Let's have a big round of applause for tonight's bugs."
     The crowd applauded as Dave continued: "They shall inherit the earth, so we might as well get used to entertaining them now.' Dave moved on to introducing the band: "I'm very proud of my band. On the pedal steel, mandolin and telecaster guitar, originally from San Bernadino, CA, Mr. Rick Shea and his many bugs. Back here on the bass guitar, tonight we're officially calling it the 'bug guitar,' hailing originally from San Diego, CA, Mr. Gregory 'Bugs' Boaz. Over here on the keyboards, all the way from Springfield, MO, a man who, if he wasn't a romantic keyboardist, after tonight would be an entomologist; Mr. Joe Terry and his amazing critters. Hailing originally from Marshalltown Iowa, a former paper boy for the Demoines Register. A  hometown hero. . .to his mother. Please welcome Mr. Bobby Lloyd Hicks."
     "I'm gonna tell you a story about Bobby growing up: There's a water tower in Marshalltown, Iowa and for many of the young boys growing up there, it was a challenge to climb to the top of that water tower and not get caught. Bobby would spend his Saturday mornings looking out his bedroom window at that water tower. He would say to himself: 'Someday I'm gonna climb that water tower.' As he would go about his chores and work in the backyard surrounded by good Iowa bugs he would look up at the top of that water tower and say; 'To dream the impossible dream.'" Bobby chimed in on his drum microphone: "It was a small town."
     Dave finished it off: "The story has a happy ending. He did climb the water tower, but he got suspended from school, put on probation, and locked in his room for a month."

Now on BlastersNewsletter.com you can read old Blasters newsletters in full color with expanded additional content from the period. Also for reference, is an extensive tour date archive for the Blasters and Dave Alvin.

Blasters Tour  of Spain Photos