Dave Alvin

Biography

David Albert Alvin (born November 11, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters. Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s and has been involved in various side projects and collaborations. He has had brief stints as a member of the bands X and the Knitters. He often refers to himself as "Blackjack Dave," in reference to his 1998 album and song of the same name.

Early life

Alvin grew up in Downey, California. He and his older brother, Phil Alvin, as teenagers frequented blues, rockabilly and country music venues. Dave attended Long Beach State University.

With the Blasters

In 1979, Alvin and his brother Phil formed the roots-rock band The Blasters with fellow Downey residents Bill Bateman and John Bazz. Alvin served as the group's lead guitarist and chief songwriter. The Rough Guide to Rock noted the ever-increasing numbers of originals that Alvin wrote for the Blasters, along with his maturation into a great songwriter.
Other artists have covered Alvin's songs. For example, "Marie Marie" became a British-German top 20 hit in 1980 for Shakin' Stevens and received a zydeco treatment in 1987 from Buckwheat Zydeco. Dwight Yoakam recorded "Long White Cadillac" in 1989.
Alvin was in the original lineup until 1986. His departure reflected internal tension in the band, but ultimately he wanted to sing his own songs while his brother Phil Alvin was the established lead vocalist for the group.
Alvin has rejoined the Blasters for some reunion tours and live albums with the original lineup. He has also occasionally performed with the band under other circumstances as well.

With X and the Knitters

Alvin served a brief stint as the lead guitarist of the Los Angeles–based alternative rock band X. He left X in 1987 to work on a solo project after the group recorded their album See How We Are.
Alvin was also a member of the country folk band The Knitters, an offshoot of X. He appeared on their 1985 album Poor Little Critter on the Road and their 2005 follow-up, The Modern Sounds of the Knitters.

With the Flesh Eaters

In the early 1980s, Alvin, along with fellow Blasters members Bill Bateman and Steve Berlin, performed on A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die by the Los Angeles punk band the Flesh Eaters. This lineup, which also included John Doe and D.J. Bonebrake, assembled once again in 2006, performing three shows in California and one in England to mark the album's 25th anniversary. They reunited briefly in 2015 for a five-show tour and again for an eight-show run in 2018. They issued a new album, I Used to Be Pretty, in 2019.

Solo

Alvin's first solo album, Romeo's Escape×Romeo's Escape1987 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Fourth of July4:002Long White Cadillac4:463Every Night About This Time3:574Romeo's Escape3:495Brother (On the Line)4:156Jubilee Train3:557Border Radio3:358Far Away4:349New Tattoo3:4510You Got Me3:5111I Wish It Was Saturday Night3:38 (entitled Every Night About This Time in England), was released in 1987. It was well received by critics but did not sell well. Because of the album's low sales, Alvin's recording contract with Columbia Records was terminated. He then toured with Mojo Nixon and Country Dick Montana, billed as the Pleasure Barons; an album recorded live on their 1993 tour was released.
Alvin's second solo album, Blue Blvd×Blue Blvd20 August 1991 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Blue Blvd4:552Guilty Man4:373Haley's Comet4:224Why Did She Stay With Him4:215Rich Man's Town3:586Gospel Night4:527Plastic Rose4:198Brand New Heart3:379Wanda and Duane4:0010Andersonville5:4711Dry River3:53, was released by Hightone Records in 1991. It received positive reviews and had moderate sales. His album Museum of Heart×Museum of Heart1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Museum of Heart4:282Don't Talk About Her4:593A Woman's Got a Right4:584Between the Cracks4:265Thirty Dollar Room4:246The Devil's Wind4:157Burning in Water Drowning in Flame3:108One Eye's Ballad0:589Longer Than I Thought5:0510Six Nights a Week3:4111Stranger in Town4:4712As She Turns Slowly to Leave5:2613Florence Avenue Lullaby1:16 was released in 1993. He recorded King of California, an album of acoustic music, in 1994. In 2000, he recorded the album Public Domain: Songs From the Wild Land×Public Domain: Songs From the Wild Land2001 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Shenandoah4:082Maggie Campbell3:273A Short Life of Trouble3:414What Did the Deep Sea Say3:015Engine 1433:566Delia3:397Dark Eyes4:008Walk Right In3:289Murder of the Lawson Family4:1810Don't Let Your Deal Go Down4:3611Railroad Bill3:2812Texas Rangers5:0713Mama, Ain't Long for Day3:2014East Virginia Blues4:1815Sign of Judgment3:4616Untitled Instrumental Track3:02, a collection of traditional folk and blues classics, which earned him a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
In 2011, Alvin recorded the album Eleven Eleven×Eleven Eleven21 June 2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 33 tracks · 4 discsDisc 11Harlan County Line5:112Johnny Ace Is Dead4:263Black Rose of Texas4:524Gary, Indiana 19594:055Run Conejo Run4:526No Worries Mija3:357What's Up With Your Brother?4:438Murrietta's Head5:589Manzanita4:0810Dirty Nightgown5:1811Two Lucky Bums2:27Disc 21Beautiful City 'Cross the River2Signal Hill3Never Trust a WomanDisc 31Harlan County Line2Boss of the Blues3Long White Cadillac4Rio Grande5Johnny Ace Is Dead6Abilene7Out of Control8Dry River9Run Conejo Run10Fourth of JulyDisc 41Harlan County Line2Boss of the Blues3Long White Cadillac4Rio Grande5Johnny Ace Is Dead6Out of Control7Dry River8Run Conejo Run9Fourth of July, released by Yep Roc Records. The album marked his return to rock roots. Rolling Stone magazine, in a review of the album, called Alvin "an underrecognized guitar hero".

Further recordings with Phil Alvin

In 2014, Dave and Phil Alvin, as a duo, released the album Common Ground, consisting of their versions of songs by Big Bill Broonzy. It was the first studio collaboration of the brothers since the mid-1980s. In 2015 they released Lost Time, a collection of covers including four songs by Big Joe Turner.
In live performance, Alvin assumed the role of emcee and storyteller. The brothers also worked Blasters tunes into the set list.

With Jimmie Dale Gilmore

Alvin and Texas singer-songwriter Jimmie Dale Gilmore teamed on the 2018 album Downey to Lubbock×Downey to Lubbock1 June 2018 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Downey to Lubbock5:492Silverlake5:023Stealin’ Stealino2:594July, You’re a Woman3:535Buddy Brown’s Blues3:516The Gardens3:577Get Together3:598K.C. Moan5:129Lawdy Miss Clawdy2:3810Billy the Kid and Geronimo4:4511Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)4:5312Walk On5:51 (the title is a reference to where each man grew up).
As seen in his live performances with brother Phil, Alvin's stories between songs were a notable part of the stage shows with Gilmore and their supporting musicians.
In April 2022, Alvin announced his return to public performance after a grueling two-year battle with different forms of cancer that started in May 2020. He chose to do so with Gilmore, scheduling nine dates in California for late June and early July 2022.

Producer and collaborator

Alvin has produced records for Chris Gaffney, Tom Russell, the Derailers, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys and Red Meat. He collaborated with the rockabilly musician Sonny Burgess. He has worked as a studio session musician accompanying Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Little Milton, Katy Moffatt, and Syd Straw.
Alvin has lent his guitar playing to other artists' albums over the years. For example, he played with the Gun Club and appeared on two songs from their 1984 album, The Las Vegas Story

Film

Alvin appeared in the movies Border Radio and Floundering and on the FX television series Justified in 2011. He also appeared in Streets of Fire, with the Blasters, in 1984.

Poetry and other writing

Alvin has published two books of poetry: Any Rough Times Are Now Behind You and Nana, Big Joe & the Fourth of July. His poetry has appeared in Caffeine, the A.K.A. Review, Rattler, Asymptote and Enclitic and in the anthologies Nude Erections, Hit and Run Poets and Poetry Loves Poetry—An Anthology of Los Angeles Poets.
A collection of Alvin's writing called New Highway was scheduled for release in September 2022. Its subtitle -- Selected Lyrics, Poems, Prose, Essays, Eulogies and Blues -- described the scope of his work.

The Blasters discography

(recordings with Dave Alvin as member)

American Music (1980)
The Blasters (1981)
Over There (Live at The Venue, London) (1982) 6-song EP
Non Fiction (1983)
Hard Line (1985)
The Blasters Collection (1990)
Testament: The Complete Slash Recordings (2002) 2-CD
Trouble Bound (2002)
Going Home: The Blasters Live (2004)
Live 1986 (2011)
Mandatory: The Best of The Blasters (2023)
Over There (Live at the Venue, London 1982) – The Complete Concert (2024) 2-CD

The Blasters videography

Streets of Fire (1984)
Going Home: The Blasters Live (2004)

The Knitters discography

Poor Little Critter on the Road (1985)
The Modern Sounds of the Knitters (2005)

Gene Taylor Blues Band discography

Live!!! 605 Boogie!!! (2008) personnel: Gene Taylor/piano, Dave Alvin/guitar, John Bazz/bass, Bill Bateman/drums.

The Third Mind discography

The Third Mind (2020)
The Third Mind/2 (2023) 6-song EP/CD
Live Mind (2025)
Right Now! (2025)
Spellbinder! (2026)

Other contributions

Lead vocal on "Time After Time" and "I Just Keep Lovin' Her" on Skip Heller's Homegoing (Innova Recordings 577) (2002)
Lead guitar on "Believe" and "Amazing Disgrace" on Dollar Store's Dollar Store (Bloodshot Records BS-098) (2004)
Eklektikos Live (2005) – "Blackjack David×Blackjack David16 June 1998 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Blackjack David4:592Abilene4:573New Highway3:144California Snow4:005Evening Blues5:336The Way You Say Good-bye4:377Mary Brown4:318Laurel Lynn3:36919684:0410From a Kitchen Table5:5611Tall Trees4:56"
Highway 61 Revisited Revisited, UNCUT (2005) – "Highway 61 Revisited"
The Lone Ranger: Wanted (2013) – "Lonesome Whistle"
Produced and arranged Chris Gaffney's 1995 album Loser's Paradise released on Hightone Records.
Produced Billy Bacon and the Forbidden Pigs' 1995 album The Other White Meat released on Triple X Records.
Produced Christy McWilson's 2000 album The Lucky One, and her 2002 album Bed of Roses, both released on Hightone.
Produced Carolyn Wonderland's 2021 album Tempting Fate, and her 2025 album Truth Is, both released on Alligator Records.
Lead vocal/guitar on "Blind Owl" on Canned Heat's Final Vinyl (Ruf Records 1309) (2024)

Writings

Nana, Big Joe & the Fourth of July (Iliteratim 1986) ASIN B000V96DW4
Any Rough Times Are Now Behind You (Incommunicado Press, 1996) ISBN 9781884615092
New Highway: Selected Lyrics, Poems, Prose, Essays, Eulogies and Blues (BMG Books, 2022) ISBN 9781947026919