Billy Bragg Performs at L.A.'s El Rey

ALTHOUGH it's been nearly six years since Billy Bragg has released an album, his hiatus can hardly be characterized as quiet.

In fact, the English guitarist-songwriter, who has spent more than two decades belting out politically charged, punk-tinged folk songs, continued to speak out on those same themes of politics and identity in 2006, only in book form: The Progressive Patriot: A Search for Belonging.

Now, though, Bragg says he's ready to get back to basics. Moving on from what he calls his “author phase," he returns to music, taking to the road to promote his just-released album, Mr. Love & Justice, and hitting the El Rey Theatre on Tuesday.

“Being an author's great fun, and it gives you a platform to talk about lots of things that I think are really important," he explains. “But the audiences at book fairs are not the same as the audience at the El Rey."

WHERE: El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.
WHEN: 8 p.m. Tue.
PRICE: $31
INFO: (323) 936-6400