Ladies and Gentleman, Elvis is entering the building. Elvis Perkins in Dearland at the Iron Horse tonight at 7PM

The first time Providence-based Elvis Perkins In Dearland played Northampton, opening for Matt Costa at Pearl Street in '06, they won the hearts and minds of the crowd unlike any opener I'd ever seen. Though nearly all were there for Costa (who delivered as well), they were clearly captivated by the vivid lyrics and striking melodies of songs that recall Bob Dylan or Neutral Milk Hotel, without being derivative of either.

Since then, Elvis Perkins In Dearland have played three more transcendent shows in Northampton, part of national tours with Okkervil River, Pernice Brothers, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and winning over enough new fans to warrant their own show at the Iron Horse.

Perkins' debut record Ash Wednesday is comprised of songs written both before and after the tragic passing of his mother Berry Berenson, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11 that crashed into the World Trade Center on 9/11. Elvis' father, Anthony Perkins, the star of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, died from AIDS in 1992. While Elvis Perkins' music does not shy away from the melancholy aspects of his personal history, the end result is ultimately life-affirming and cathartic.

Bon Iver (pronounced: bohn eevair; French for "good winter" and spelled wrong on purpose) opens the show with his quietly stirring acoustic-based songs that are drawing comparisons to Iron & Wine and creating quite a stir online.

This majestic double bill happens tonight at the Iron Horse at 7pm. Get your tickets here.