The lineup of performers at the South by Southwest music festival is always dominated by baby bands, but every once in a while, a legend stops by to give the youngsters something to shoot for.

By the time he'd wrapped up with a cover of The Delmore Brothers' "Blues Stay Away from Me" on Wednesday night (3/14), country singer Charlie Louvin [ tickets ] had proven that, even at 80 years old, he's still one of country music's most vital voices--and one that can teach the upstarts a thing or two.

Louvin had his best commercial success during the '50s and early '60s with The Louvin Brothers, who split in 1963. Any chance of a reunion was squelched by his brother Ira's untimely death in 1965.

In recent years, Louvin and The Louvin Brothers have been rediscovered by a new generation of alt-rock and alt-country artists; a few years back, Cake took him along on their eclectic Unlimited Sunshine Tour, and he just issued a new, self-titled album featuring guests including Elvis Costello, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, George Jones, Will Oldham and Clem Snide's Eef Barzalay.

That new album is dominated by re-worked versions of songs he's recorded previously, and Louvin's SXSW set included a few songs that appear on the album--most notably a haunting rendition of "The Great Atomic Bomb."

An amiable Louvin was backed at the show by Diane Berry of The Blenders, whose sweet, flawless harmonies took the edge off of his gravelly delivery, which is so sincere and convincing that he can--and did--sing about the need for a hall of fame for mothers without coming across like a musical greeting card. That's a feat that even Willie Nelson would have a hard time pulling off.

After about 40 minutes of his powerful music, augmented by plenty of homespun chats with the crowd, Louvin even came out to sign autographs, remembering, even today, the importance of staying close to his fans.