Barndance’s 10th Anniversary Gala Made Poignant by Recent Losses

Los Angeles musician and roots-music booster Ronnie Mack has provided a weekly haven for twang-heavy American sounds since 1988. On Tuesday at Jacks Sugar Shack, Mack celebrated the 10th anniversary of his Barndance, which has offered a regular, reliable stage for traditional-minded musicians such as Lucinda Williams, Dave Alvin, Russell Scott & the Red Hots and Rosie Flores.

Shying away from the slick, overproduced Nashville sound that seems to sum up country now, Mack’s mini-Opry offers three-song sets of everything from traditional hillbilly, blues and Cajun to such country hybrids as rockabilly, roots-rock, western swing and surfy psychobilly.

Tuesday’s Barndance was made poignant by the recent deaths of rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins and local country musician and emcee Cliffie Stone--losses that underscored the music’s endangered-species status. Tuesday’s highlights--blues diva Candye Kane, crooner James Intveld and ex-Blaster Alvin--proved that there are still a few talented young musicians willing to toil in relative obscurity to preserve the scene.

Rockabilly veteran Ray Campi walked onstage with his stand-up bass painted like an American flag and studded with rhinestones, then delivered a spirited set of thumping music as cameras flashed to preserve the moment. At the other end of the spectrum was the much younger Intveld, the Frank Sinatra of the local roots-rock scene, who worked through stylish, honeyed versions of both Stone and Perkins songs.

Kane’s, Intveld’s and Campi’s soulful sets were steeped in history but had a freshness and flair that never felt musty. But it was Alvin who offered the most unforgettable moment of the evening with a tribute to all of the significant musicians who have died recently: Junior Kimbrough, Junior Wells, Stone and Perkins. The song? His 1982 Blasters tune “American Music.” It was both surprising and sad to hear how nostalgic it sounded.