Recorded on Jan. 29, 1999, Dave Alvin’s appearance on Austin City Limits was something of a homecoming for the Los Angeles–based singer/songwriter. Though Alvin has been heavily associated with Southern California since the early days of The Blasters, his musical values are more aligned with Austin, where songcraft and unprocessed playing are prized over radio accessibility and record sales. Alvin is more comfortable as a live performer than as a studio recording artist, and songs from his back catalog come alive in the presence of an audience. He clearly takes pleasure in his backing band, The Guilty Men, who bring a loose poignancy to Alvin classics like “King of California,” “Border Radio," and “Dry River.” The bandleader has a great feel for dynamics, underscored by the talents of multi-instrumentalists Joe Terry, who plays accordion and keyboards, and Rick Shea, who switches from guitar to mandolin to pedal steel. Alvin leads the band from understated renditions of “Abilene” and “Fourth of July” to the uproarious hootenannies of “Promised Land” and “Marie Marie.”