Dave Alvin, Friends Get Political at Benefit

When someone in the crowd yelled the name of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Paul Simon near the start of a 4 1/2-hour benefit concert for the Rev. Jesse Jackson, it was clear that not everyone in the packed Music Machine on Saturday night was dancing to the same political beat. But the crowd did seem to be unanimous in its support of the home-grown, roots-rock emphasis of the evening’s performers.

Though there was a fund-raising booth selling Jackson T-shirts at the club and emcee Mike Blake offered the party line between sets, the crowd seemed mainly interested in just partying--and the musicians obliged.

The performers ranged greatly in musical style--from the jazz-R & B leanings of vocalist Julie Christensen to the folk-country instincts of singer-songwriters Peter Case and Victoria Williams--but there was a common thread of passion in their music and a lack of pretense in their manner that gave the evening a unified tone.

Guitarist-singer Dave Alvin and his Allnighters band launched their headlining, hour set with the pointed “White House Blues,” but moved quickly into scorching versions of such Alvin originals as the raucous “Marie, Marie,” from his Blasters days, and the more melancholy “Fourth of July,” from his brief stint with the band X.

The evening’s highlight, however, was the half-hour solo set by X’s John Doe. Freed from the rock ‘n’ roll caterwaul of his regular band, Doe--with his deep, warm voice and everyman persona--was strikingly effective in putting across the working class nightmare of X songs like “The Have Nots” and “This Must Be the New World.”

X has been a critical darling around town throughout the ‘80s, but co-lead vocalist Exene Cervenka--who helped organize the benefit--sings in such a shrill, grating style that it’s no wonder the group has not been able to match its acclaim with commercial success.

Not having to share the stage with Cervenka, Doe--always the best part of X vocally--is able to create a more consistent and accessible mood. Less self-conscious vocally than Cervenka, Doe places the emphasis in his music on gripping character studies and social observation in a way that is both insightful and endearing.