You used to say the highway was your home

At risk of diverting concertgoers from Millvale, where Good Night, States--officially my favorite local band--will be tomorrow night, I do want to mention for your folkier folks that Steve Earle will be playing a free show in South Park.

His latest record, Townes, is a collection of covers by Earle's late friend and mentor, the legendary Townes Van Zandt. Van Zandt is among my own favorite songwriters, and Earle once offered my single favorite summary of him: "Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world, and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that."

After Van Zandt's death, Earle wrote what I still think is his best song, at once haunting and healing, "Fort Worth Blues." It's so good, I forgive him that quasi-combover he's been wearing lately.