Lucero w/ William Elliott Whitmore

It's almost a shame to lump in Lucero with all those other alt-country bands, since instead of the passive folk and timid retro-twang that predominate that genre, this Memphis group kicks up an edgier, rockier sound, a fiercer take on The Replacements' rowdy roots-rock. The group's 2009 major-label debut <i>1372 Overton Park</i>, sacrificed none of Lucero's ramshackle energy; the same goes for its even more Bruce Springsteen-inspired follow-up, <i>Women & Work</i>, which finds singer Ben Nichols belting out more songs to his two great muses in his signature, whiskey-stained rasp. The band shares this show with Iowa blues-folk songwriter William Elliott Whitmore.