There's no other way to put it: Jon Rauhouse is a badass. When the dude shows up to play on your record or add a little of his pedal steel to your live show, it is going to sound good. Really good. There's a reason why Los Angeles-based music blog Aquarium Drunkard referred to Rauhouse as a "pedal-steel poet and near-prophet in guitar circles" when he played virtual tour guide of his home city, Phoenix, for the site in 2008. Rauhouse just has the touch, a soulful, recognizable style that has served Calexico, Neko Case, Giant Sand, Source Victoria, Billy Bob Thornton, and Jakob Dylan (to cite just a few). It's been a few years since Rauhouse has released one of his solo platters (2007's Steel Guitar Heart Attack), but you can hardly blame the guy — he's been busy. While the "brand-new venue" smell hasn't worn off the recently opened Crescent Ballroom, expect Rauhouse to bring a worn-in, well-traveled sensibility to the building that housed Van Buren's first drive-in garage, intimate enough to shout a well-timed cheer for another solo record soon.