12/8/04 songwriter events

Good Lord to the Devil

Tonight at The 5 Spot

A versatile twosome equally at home with country blues, avant-pop and the occasional murder ballad, Good Lord to the Devil are steeped in the traditions of country and folk songwriters like Ronee Blakley and the Louvin Brothers, while bringing perspectives to the genre that aren't just confined to the "Ode to Billie Joe"/"Ballad of Georgie" tradition of tragedy-bound queer songs. Jon Freeman and Ryan Breegle are a couple of badass guitar players with a knack for taking the sacred, the slutty and the delirious and meshing them together in acoustic epics that are deliciously queer in all senses of the word.

--By Jason Shawhan

* PAT ALGER, TONY ARATA and CHRIS CAVANAUGH. Alger and Arata have more in common that cool names that start with A - they both have written massive hits for Garth Brooks, including The Dance, Thunder Rolls and Unanswered Prayers. 9pm, Douglas Corner Cafe, $5.

* AMERICANA TONIGHT! With folk singer-songwriter MELISSA GIBSON (8pm); seriously talented Nashville Star finalist JENNIFER HICKS (8:30pm); self-described " swampy Southern soul " acoustic combo BLUE MOTHER TUPELO (9pm); former Southern Culture on the Skids member celebrating the release of solo effort Well of Mercy, MICHAEL KELSH (9:30pm); and earthy, roots-rock songstress BILLIE JOYCE (10pm). 8pm, The Sutler, $5. Also, Universal Music Showcase featuring THE UNRECOUPED and I.T., 6pm, cover TBA

ANNIE MOSHER, CHELEY TACKETT, LISA CARVER and AMY SPEACE. 2002 New Folk winner at the Kerrville Folk Festival Mosher makes classic country and Americana and is a regular with the Girls With Guitars. 8pm, Radio Cafe, free.

* ALAN RHODY, TIM KREKEL, WOOD NEWTON and RON HELLARD. Rhody has had cuts with the Oak Ridge Boys, Ricky Van Shelton and penned a country yuletide tune, Christmas to Christmas. 9pm, Bluebird Cafe, $8. Also, NEIL THRASHER, BO ALLEN and LANE TURNER, 6:30pm, free

* JOHN SIEGER. With PHIL LEE and GREG TROOPER. Wisconsin songwriter Sieger was a member of Twin Tone Records band The R&B Cadets and Warner Bros. act Semi-Twang (whose sole recording was produced by Mitchell Froom and Jerry Harrison), and has gone on to have his songs covered by the likes of Dwight Yoakam, Tommy Conwell, Etta James and the BoDeans. Two excellent Americana locals, Lee and Trooper, make this a night not to be missed for any self-respecting roots-rock fan. 8pm, The Family Wash, cover TBA.