Gentle San Fran folkers Vetiver love to pay homage by way of the

cover. When the dusty troupe rolled through the Tractor Tavern a while

back, they made (my) dreams come true by bringing one of my favorite

tracks in the free world to life: Southern crooner Bobby Charles’

lazy-summer-day anti-anthem “I Must Be in a Good Place Now” (from his

1972 self-titled release, which features none other than the Band

backing him up). Hats were also tipped to Canada’s Great Speckled Bird

and the Wizards, a Swedish psych band from the ’70s, with a lively

cover of “See You Tonight” that I have yet to track down.

Unfortunately, the song doesn’t make an appearance on Vetiver’s recent

release, Thing of the Past, a well-executed set of covers culled by

leader Andy Cabic (a deliciously hazy version of “I Must Be in a Good

Place Now,” however, closes the record). The playlist reads more like

a crate-digger’s dream than any week’s Billboard’s Top 100, with

renditions that range from Hawkwind’s “Hurry On Sundown” and Loudon

Wainwright III’s “The Swimming Song” to Ian Matthews’ “Road to

Ronderlin” and Garland Jeffreys’ “Lon Chaney.” Cabic considers this

effort his best to date, though their original works, while well-worn

in the best kind of way, aren’t too shabby either. With Kelley Stoltz

and H Is for Hellgate. High Dive, 513 N. 36th St., 632-5656. 8 p.m.

$10 adv./$12. AJA PECKNOLD

Sun., May 4, 2008