I saw my first punk rock concert back in 1985, when I was junior in high school. The show took place at the Gorilla Gardens, a Seattle hole-in-the-wall club that has long since closed down. The roof leaked. A strip of ripped-out airliner chairs served as the only seating. The bands were ear-splittingly loud, aggressive and unkempt. It changed my life.

I had gone to the show to see Husker Du, a brilliant trio out of Minneapolis that would go on to change the face of indie rock in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. They were good, but it was the opening band, Soul Asylum, that really blew me away. The guys in the band looked like neanderthals, talked like idiots and smelled like beer, but they played like angels. Incredible songwriting, explosive instrumentation and scads of raw spirit. They instantly became one of my favorite bands, and have remained so.

A decade after that fateful show, Soul Asylum, to my profound disbelief and slight dismay, would achieve a platinum-selling album on Sony Records, largely spurred by the success of their only big radio hit, “Runaway Train.” It wasn’t even close to the best tune the band’s stunted genius of a singer and songwriter, Dave Pirner, had ever written, but there it is — all of a sudden Soul Asylum, one of the finest, loudest and most melodic American rock bands of the decade, is a one-hit wonder. They played for President Clinton, made a lot of money, dated kleptomaniacal movie stars, got on MTV. Then they just sort of disappeared.

That’s show biz: You rise from obscurity, make some noise and then go away.

However, it’s a misconception that true artists just go away — especially musicians. Pirner, a gifted songwriter who traverses a multitude of genres and styles, relocated to New Orleans from Minneapolis a few years back. It was a calculated move; he wanted to place himself in the rootsy heartland of American music. And just last week, Pirner released an album of solo music, “Faces and Names,” culled from two years of random studio work. He’s come a long way from Gorilla Gardens. This is mature music that displays a strong grasp of Southern folk blues, which Pirner gives an urgent twist with his own brand of highly personal lyricism. Songs such as “Teach Me To Breathe,” “Never Recover” and the title track forgo volume for intensity, with Pirner’s gravelly voice weaving through lush pop melodies. This is simple, pretty music.

This Thursday, Aug. 8, Pirner — always an exciting live performer — will play a solo show at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle. Opening the show is local singer/songwriter Marc Olsen, an excellent musician in his own right and a good match for Pirner. If you appreciate good old American folk rock, you don’t want to miss this double bill. Tickets are $12 advance/$15 at the door. For more information, call the Crocodile Cafe at (206) 441-5611 or visit their Web site at www.thecrocodile.com.

More music: This Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 10 & 11) features the Coupeville Arts Festival, which brings with it a whole host of opportunities for live music. Probably the most interesting of these events is the Dillinger’s Clambake concert being held Saturday night at 8 p.m. in the Smith Barn on Ebey’s Prairie. Dillinger’s Clambake is a band of local luminaries (including Coupeville resident and Oak Harbor teacher Jeff Hume) who play what is known as “new era swing,” and judging by the success of last year’s concert, this should be a hoot. This is part of the ongoing Concerts on the Cove series of summer concerts, so admission is a mere $5 at the door and, what’s more, no lawnmower-oriented interruptions are expected in such a remote location. Just follow the signs west of Coupeville on Highway 20 to find Smith Barn, and be sure to bring a jacket.

There will also be free live music at the festival’s entertainment stage, located between the parking area and the food court. So far, confirmed performers include the following: On Saturday, local favorite the Janie Cribbs Band (starting at noon), Celtic folk rocker Timothy Hull (2 p.m.), contemporary rock singer (whatever that means) Beverly Graham (3 p.m.) and, well, of course, the Shifty Sailors (4 p.m.) fresh off their rousing concert just last week at Coupeville’s Rec Hall; Sunday features Devin Matthews (no relation to Dave) starting at 11 a.m. and the livestock rock outfit the Filucy Hootchie Kootchie Band (at noon and 4 p.m.).