All signs point to The Music Hall broadening its agenda to include more contemporary music. The first and perhaps most significant indication was the recent booking of folk artist Steve Earle, who will perform a sold-out show on Saturday, March 12. Earle's 2004 release, The Revolution Starts Now, won a Grammy in February for "Best Contemporary Folk Album." He's touring the nation heavily, bringing his politically charged, rebellious tunes to as many American cities as he can.

The new CD, which is Earle's fifth, is loaded with barely masked attacks the Bush administration. It includes impassioned songs that denounce the war on Iraq, curse the FBI and CIA, and poke fun at our oft-beleaguered secretary of state, Condoleeza Rice. The tracks bring a punk sensibility to the gritty country upbringing that marks Earle's southern folk style.

Political rants aside, Earle writes songs that mesh the folk rock palatability of Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen with the gutter-gullet vocals of an early Tom Waits. It is not a totally new sound, nor has it been done into the dirt. Earle's lyrical, vocal and instrumental brashness never cross the line to the point that a moderate listener would be turned away. The Revolution Starts Now even includes a duet with Emmylou Harris.

It will be interesting to observe Earle's temperament in a post-election tour. As a man who dropped out of school in the eighth grade, battled a serious drug addiction, and has been married six times, Steve Earle has learned how to survive-it's not likely even the heinous and nefarious policies of conservative Republicans could stop him.

Earle will be joined at The Music Hall by his band, The Dukes, along with Mindy Smith and Allison Moorer. The political element of his music, while prevalent, is not likely to dominate the set. His guitar playing and country singing are worth hearing regardless of your political stance. Don't expect Earle to blow you away, though. He's not as lyrically clever as Bob Dylan, nor as instrumentally riveting as Stevie Ray Vaughn. Expect to be pleasantly entertained.

We've not seen any contemporary groups at the Hall in a while, so the events of March 12 will be a welcome arrival. Earle was booked at The Music Hall by The River and Redhook. On March 25, Jimmy Cliff, one of the most renowned Jamaican reggae artists alive today, will bring his band into town, courtesy of Joe Fletcher Presents. Keep an eye on The Music Hall schedule, as they're expected to announce more contemporary performers for next season.