8 THURSDAY

Richard Buckner is the best thing to hit the folk/progressive country circuit in a decade. Buckner’s amazing debut, Bloomed, was initially self-released before being grabbed by a Texas’ Dejadisc and given something close to the exposure it deserves. The melody lines from Buckner ditties like “Daisy Chain” and “Rainsquall” will stick in your head for days and leave you wondering how long a guy who writes like Rodney Crowell and sings like Dwight Yoakam can remain anonymous. Buckner opens for Son Volt. On its heaviest material, the much-heralded offspring of Uncle Tupelo comes off like Gram Parsons playing through Marshall stacks. But the urgency that Jay Farrar’s guitar playing and vocal delivery divulge must be his own. On “Route,” when Farrar is howling, “We’re all living proof that nothing lasts!,” he’s not just singing about his fledgling band. At 8:45 p.m. at 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $10. (202) 393-0930. CP