group several standing ovations. Phil and Dave and The Guilty Ones took the stage after intermission and proceeded to continue the history lesson on American music, this time focusing on their roots in traditional American Blues music. Born in Los Angeles in the 50's, Phil Alvin and his younger brother Dave were raised on the music of Elvis Presley, T-Bone Walker, and Big Joe Turner. Together they formed the Blasters in 1979, borrowing the name from Jimmy McCracklin's Blues Blasters. Dave Alvin left the Blasters in 1985 to join X, and Phil returned to graduate school to pursue his master's degree in mathematics and artificial intelligence. He later earned his Ph.D. from UCLA. Phil resurrected the Blasters and his musical career shortly after, while Dave went on to a solo career. In 2012, Phil who had been fighting a viral infection with antibiotics months earlier, was hospitalized in Spain when he suffered severe breathing difficulties. He fully recovered after an emergency tracheotomy, and in 2013 Phil and Dave began work on their first album together since Dave left the Blasters. The album became a reverent tribute to one of their biggest influences. The result, Common Ground: Dave & Phil Alvin Play & Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy was released in the summer of 2014. The Alvin brothers supported Common Ground with a concert tour, and in 2015 Dave and Phil returned with a !set of electric blues, Lost Time. The set at the Lobero featured songs from some of the bands favorite performers, including explanations of how the brothers met an interacted with the Blues legends.These included Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner, Willie Dixon, and of course Big Bill Broonzy, among others. Then the sound man turned the amplifiers up to full throttle for some Blasters classics. The band ended with a triple encore, including an X classic "4th of July," and two more Blasters songs that had the crowd dancing like it was 1982 all over again. (Photos On The Next Page) www.facebook.comfdavealvinofficial www.davealvin.neti www.tiNitter.comidavealvin
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