So I find myself facing a musical moral quandary yet again as Richard Buckner rolls into town for a show at the Turf Club tomorrow night. Buckner’s hands down one of my favorite singer/songwriters, the man responsible for at least two albums that would have a fighting chance at making my desert island top 50 all time discs list (1997’s Devotion & Doubt and the following year’s Since), but he’s also been responsible for some of my worst live music experiences. When Buckner’s on, his Appalachian holler is bone tingling and he’s an affable conversationalist with his audience. When he’s off he appears completely disinterested, sings all of the songs in the same monotone voice (to the same meandering melody) and doesn’t look up from his shoes. Long story short, I’ve seen the man mesmerize and seen him flop in equal measure over the last five or so years worth of his Twin Cities performances (Buckner’s a road warrior who seems to play here at least twice a year).

So a few questions for Reveille readers …

1) How was he the last time he came through town? After seeing him sleepwalk through a headlining show at the Cedar with an excellent sideman (Doug Gillard) who seemed as bewildered as the audience I had sworn off live Buckner. But I’ve also heard many good things about his subsequent tour with the Six Parts Seven playing as his backing band and I believe their pedal steel player is accompanying him for tomorrow night’s gig.

2) Who makes your all time “maddening” live concert squad? Here are a few of mine.

1) Ryan Adams - I didn’t see his most recent meltdown, but that’s because I was still recovering from the bad taste his 2003 gig at First Avenue left in my mouth. That would be the one where he called living local legend Paul Westerberg “a bitter old bitch.” You can read my original slam on that gig here.

2) Cat Power - I’ve heard that sobriety’s smoothed out her once notorious performance anxieties but at a 2002 400 Bar show I caught I don’t believe she made it through a single song in its entirety, usually giving up about halfway through.

3) Mark Eitzel - Beware the wrath of Eitzel. He had a rapt audience at SXSW in 2005 performing with the reformed American Music Club and still stormed off the stage after roughly 30 minutes due to “sound difficulties” no one in the audience seemed to be experiencing, not even the roar of a truly loving crowd could bring him back.