STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES

Style: A little bit roots rock, a little bit outlaw country, and a whole lot of good songs.

Backstory: Like the artistic love child of Bruce Springsteen and Dwight Yoakam, Earle recalled both of them on his 1986 debut album “Guitar Town.” He leaned heavier into rock with his rich, politically charged and poignant album “Coppertown Road” two years later; then came to the brink of personal and professional ruin with a flop album, legal troubles and a concerning drug habit. Court-ordered to go to rehab in 1994, Earle emerged with the triumphant, critically acclaimed acoustic album “Train a Comin’ “in 1995, and the admiration has kept coming. Why you should go?: Performing with his longtime backing band the Dukes,

Earle is taking a trip back to “Coppertown Road” for this tour, playing the album from front to back. But promotional materials also promise they’ll play “God knows what after that!!!,” so expect some surprises. Opener: Alt-country husband-and-wife duo the Mastersons, who’ve also toured with the likes of Regina Spektor and Son Volt. Chris Masterson will be doing double duties by playing in the Dukes that night.

Time and place: 8 p.m. Friday, Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St.

Price: $39.50 to $55 at the box office, the Riverside Theater box office (116 W. Wisconsin Ave.), (414) 286-3663 and pabsttheater.org.