Steve Wildsmith

After a November show that pulled them from their usual Knoxville venue — Barley’s Taproom, 200 E. Jackson Ave. in Knoxville’s Old City — Memphis rock outfit Lucero appears to be returning there on Friday, March 26. The Barley’s live music calendar for March lists the band as performing there that night as part of the monthly “Funhouse Presents” showcases, brought to you by that wacky duo Rob Levering and Derek Senter, hosts of “The Funhouse” from 8-10 p.m. every Friday on WUTK-FM, 90.3 The Rock.

We did a story on the band when they played The Valarium last November, and the group’s most recent album — “1372 Overton Park” — made my year-end best-of list for 2009. Check out Lucero online here; no word yet on how much tickets might be or who the opening act is — our fingers are crossed for Glossary, the Murfreesboro-based band that frequently collaborates with Lucero and just put out a new CD, “Feral Fire,” on Lucero’s Liberty and Lament label.

Other notable March shows at Barley’s: Shannon McNally on Friday, March 5 … The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker on Saturday, March 6 … a CD release show by Knoxville expatriate and Nashville singer-songwriter Matt Urmy on Friday, March 12 … and former Dixie Dirt front woman/singer-songwriter Kat Brock on Sunday, March 21.

UPDATE: Tickets to the Lucero show will be $13 in advance and $15 at the door; still no word on opening bands. (Still crossing fingers for Glossary.) Call Barley’s at 521-0092 for more information.

I knew there was a reason that sneaky bastage “Ramblin’” Randall Brown, my erstwhile colleague at that big ol’ Knoxville daily, sent me a Twitter message and asked if I had a Facebook account. (Incidentally, I don’t. Although I should probably rectify that, and fast.)

It seems now-defunct Knoxville band Dixie Dirt, one of my favorite bands ever, is releasing its final album next month. Randall got the drop on me on his blog, and when I read it, I naturally start salivating. And then I picked up the phone and called frontwoman Kat Brock. It turns out that cryptic comment is true — next month, Dixie Dirt will release “Posthumous,” its final studio album recorded in late 2007/early 2008 with Ryan Schaefer of the Royal Bangs.

Ryan (who founded the Bangs with drummer Chris Rusk, the final of the three guys who manned the kit for Dixie Dirt) has turned over the masters for the never-released album back over to the band, and Kat, guitarist Angela Santos and bassist Bradford Carruth are giving fans something they’ve begged for since Dixie Dirt called it quits in April 2008.

The record will include some songs familiar to those who have attended the group’s live shows — “Shined,” “Fire,” “Lately” and “Sleep Part 3″ and “4.” As for what else is on there — Brock can’t recall because it’s been so long since the sessions, and because she hasn’t heard the album.

“Not a single track,” she said with a laugh.

The members plan on making the release an online-only event for now, posting it to iTunes and other such electronic retailers. No firm date is set other than “next month.”

In the meantime, you can check out a Kat Brock solo show next Saturday, Jan. 23, at The Pilot Light, 106 E. Jackson Ave. in Knoxville’s Old City. I’ll have a story on Kat and her new EP, “C,” next week. In the meantime, read a 2008 interview with her here, and you can read my comments about Dixie Dirt in Metro Pulse’s “Best Knoxville Band Ever” story here.

Dixie Dirt on Myspace: Click here
Kat Brock on Myspace: Click here
Invisible Giants (Carruth’s band) on Myspace: Click here