Sometimes I just hate promoters.

A couple of months back, I was sent the new album by Tommy Keene, In the Late Bright. The album is great of course, like almost all of the shimmering power pop Keene has released over the past 25 years.

Anyhow, I asked the promo guy at the label to let me know when Keene might be coming to Dallas, so I might be able to do an interview, etc.

Well, since Keene is scheduled to play The Cavern next Tuesday, you can pretty well guess that I didn't find out till just now. Keene is one of my heroes, both as a songwriter and guitarist. His Places That Are Gone EP and Based on Happy Times album are two of the most prized possessions in my music collection.

He's always been an underground figure, never achieving the status of even someone like Paul Westerberg (whom Keene played guitar with on several Westerberg solo tours). Geffen Records tried to market him as Charlie Sexton-style hunk back in the early '80s, but, of course, it didn't work out and Keene was ingloriously dumped by the label.

Instead, Keene has recorded for a variety of indie labels and rarely deviates from his signature sound. Fans of Buddy Holly, The Byrds, Big Star and even early Goo Goo Dolls stuff would be hard-pressed to find something else better to do next Tuesday evening.