With a musical career that has spawned nearly 25 albums over the past 27 years, Lou Barlow has certainly earned his position as one of the indie rock genre’s most important and highly respected creators. From the punk/garage style of his first nationally recognized band, Dinosaur Jr., to the lo-fi introspectiveness of Sebadoh and his mostly solo project Sentridoh, to the hypnotic, highly produced offerings of the Folk Implosion, each chapter of his multiple personality-like body of work has been thoroughly nurtured and developed to reach its fullest potential.

Despite having one of his songs—the Folk Implosion’s “Natural One”—land on the top 40 chart, Barlow has always been much more interested in satisfying the need to remain true to himself than in writing hits. “You can’t judge yourself based on national success,” he once told Billboard magazine. “My songs have always been about personal politics.”

Now 44 years old, Barlow seems content spending his non-touring time with his wife, two children and four cats in their Los Angeles home. Over the past year, however, his family time has been quite minimal: He’s played approximately 150 shows across the U. S. and in Europe since the release of 2009’s solo effort Goodnight Unknown (Merge), with Mike Watt’s former band the Missingmen as his backing bandmates. Their shows, which consist of a varied mixture of Barlow’s older and more recent material, are performed in the format of two acoustic outer edges at the beginning and end, with an electric center as the concert’s core.

A St. Louis stop has been somewhat of a seldom occurrence for Barlow’s tours; prior to last year’s Dinosaur Jr. show, his most recent visits here were with Sebadoh, both in 2004, and also way back in 1999. That fact alone should provide more than sufficient incentive to head down to Off Broadway August 22 to witness a rather rare and special appearance by a truly legendary and iconic artist—one whose voice, in case you haven’t heard it recently, remains as silky smooth and instantly recognizable as it’s always been. | Michele Ulsohn

Lou Barlow and the Missingmen
Off Broadway
Sunday, August 22^, 2010
3509 Lemp Ave.
314-773-3363
With guests Wye Oak and Young Man
doors 7/show 7:30
tickets $10 adv/12 dos ($3 minor surcharge)