It would be easy and not entirely wrong to assume that The Devil Makes Three frontman Pete Bernhards solo efforts, including last years Straight Line, will sound more or less like one of his bands records. While The Devil Makes Three deals in revivalist roots, Bernhard sans band tends to tone down the twang, coming off more like Southern Californias answer to Jack Johnson than the country singer he is when he fronts DMT. Thats not an insult: Bernhards pared-down, mellow songs bridge the gap between country music and the watered-down, pseudo-roots sound thats become so infuriatingly popular in the mainstream, meaning that Bernhard may very well be the bridge-builder to lure Franti fans away from the dark side. SARA BRICKNER
Thu., Feb. 25, 9 p.m., 2010
