All-Star Tribute to Townes Van Zandt

8 p.m. Saturday, March 7. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

Mar 4, 2009 at 4:00 am

Singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt casts a shadow like few others in the genre have. You can attribute this to the Texas troubadour's cult status in the country and folk scenes or that he's viewed as a songwriter's songwriter: Willie and Merle's cover of "Pancho and Lefty" put him on the map, while multiple artists have recorded "If I Needed You." And because we love our romance with a big heap of tragedy, Van Zandt's enduring legacy also has something to do with his untimely death in 1997, an event preceded by a lifetime of addiction. In tribute to Van Zandt's contributions to the American songbook, Off Broadway is hosting an All-Star Tribute to Townes Van Zandt, featuring some of St. Louis' finest country and folk practitioners. The line-up includes the Linemen, the Dive Poets, Theodore, the May Day Orchestra, Rough Shop and, oddly enough, the Funky Butt Brass Band.