His mean, drawling country-punk may not be the true Nashville avant-garde, but Hank Williams III is a musical scion attempting to express himself in a notoriously inflexible genre. The achievement of records such as 2006's Straight to Hell and last year's Damn Right, Rebel Proud could be that they alert listeners to the possibilities of a synthesis the artist himself merely hints at. Straight to Hell remains a lo-fi monument and one of the few country recordings to feature a side of hillbilly musique-concrete Frank Zappa might have admired. Hank III's more straightforward efforts sound a lot like classic country—Lovesick, Broke and Drifting does credit to his lineage but never sounds merely reverent. Today's acoustic performance should showcase his songwriting, which has always been sharper than the Music Row norm. He's just a Southern rebel with the 21st century blues, and good for him.
Sat., Oct. 10, 1:30 p.m., 2009
Sat., Oct. 10, 1:30 p.m., 2009
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