It’s been nearly 20 years since Pulp Fiction catapulted Dick Dale back into public consciousness, and over a decade since his last album (2001’s Spacial Disorientation), but the 74-year old guitar icon is still maintains a relentless touring schedule. It’s no exaggeration to say that Dale invented surf rock—his blending of rockabilly shake with Middle Eastern and European melodies pretty much defines the genre. His breakneck staccato picking technique would later influence a new generation of rock guitarists (Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, etc.), while the punk-rock crowd would also embrace him as an early innovator. Dale has hardly strayed stylistically from his roots, but that doesn’t mean he’s out of touch. After 50 years in the music business, he refuses to sign to a label and preaches DIY as a means of survival. BRIAN J. BARR

Fri., Jan. 13, 9 p.m., 2012