Despite his multifaceted reputation as a live performer, Ely’s 1999 appearance at Antone’s has special significance. Most famous as a venue for electric blues (it was a headquarters for Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan), Clifford Antone’s 6th Street nightclub has long been a cornerstone of the Austin music scene. Even as it encompasses many genres, Ely’s music has always been charged by blues, which puts him right at home at Antone’s. The hungry crowd is whipped into a frenzy by Ely concert staples “Me and Billy the Kid,” “Dallas” and “The Road Goes On Forever,” all of which come off like anthems to famous times. The more recent material fares equally well, especially “Gallo del Cielo,” the cockfighting epic from Ely’s Letter to Laredo. Each song is incited by the crackling pedal steel of Lloyd Maines and the accordion work of Joel Guzman. By the time the band closes with a show-stopping version of Buddy Holly’s “Oh, Boy,” you can practically taste the beer and the sweat of a good long night at the local roadhouse.