In my opinion, Mark Knopfler is like JJ Cale–he doesn’t get enough credit for how good and innovative he is. Furthermore, it seems he doesn’t get enough credit because, like Cale he does not play in-your-face rock, but rather laid-back, shuffling blues and folk. Most know Knopfler from his 80s rock band Dire Straits, which is responsible for mega-hits Sultans of Swing and Money for Nothing. But his solo career has been just as productive and intriguing. Like Bob Dylan, Knopfler has been crafting pseudo-trad songs that dont really resemble any particular style but still work hard at evoking the past, all the while sounding like pure Mark Knopfler. Through his soft grooves and bone-dry baritone, Knopfler creates slow-burning Americana that favors song-craft over guitar showmanship. BRIAN J. BARR
Thu., April 8, 8 p.m., 2010
