Blast from the past: The Blasters at Cafe Nine

NEW HAVEN >> Let’s face it: no Americana or roots band rocks harder than The Blasters.

There was a time when brothers Phil and Dave Alvin were younger and playing with the original band when you half expected someone in the band — or maybe the entire band — to just blow up, Spinal Tap-style, in the midst of a song.

That’s how hot they were.

OK, so they’re a little more mature now, but they still play pure, high-octane American rock ’n’ roll that’s as good as it gets — and they’ll be doing it Sunday night at Cafe Nine — a show not to be missed for anybody who has yet to see the band, as well as for everyone who has.

Showtime is 8:30 p.m. The Delta Bombers open. Tickets are $20 in advance, available at cafenine.com or at the door.

The Blasters’ song catalogue, mostly written by Dave Alvin, blends rock, country, rockabilly and punk influences and includes some of the finest American rock ’n’ roll songs ever written, including “American Music,” “Marie, Marie,” “Border Radio,” “Barefoot Rock” and “I’m Shakin’.”

Besides Downey, California, brothers Phil Alvin on vocals, harmonica and guitar and Dave Alvin on guitar, the original version of The Blasters included John Bazz on bass and Bill Bateman on drums, putting out their breathtaking first album “American Music” in 1980, and their second album, “The Blasters,” on Slash records in 1981.

The latter album also featured Gene Taylor on keyboards and Steve Berlin and Lee Allen on saxophone. They quickly followed up with a live album, “Over There,” in 1982 and studio releases “Non Fiction” and “Hard Line” in 1983 and 1985.

For decades, the brothers — who didn’t always get along — didn’t play together, as Dave Alvin moved on to play with The Knitters — also featuring X members Excene Cervenka and John Doe — and later X itself for a while even before he formally left The Blasters in 1986.

The Blasters, meanwhile, replaced Dave Alvin with a series of great guitarists, including Hollywood Fats, Billy Zoom, Greg “Smokey” Hormel, James Intveld and Keith Wyatt.

Several years ago, the Alvin brothers worked out whatever had kept them apart and they most recently performed in the area over Labor Day weekend as Dave and Phil Alvin & The Guilty Ones.

But now they’re back at Cafe Nine with fellow founding members Bateman on drums and Bazz on bass, along with Wyatt on guitar. You had best take advantage of the opportunity...