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No one has really ever been able to define themselves and their music like singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo does. His life in music of all kinds sometimes feels like a swirl through the sky, where his songs point out all the majesty and mystery of how he sees the world. The sounds he makes take him places that he might not even predict, but once there, greatness always follows. It's just the way Escovedo is. It has happened over and over for decades, almost like a fateful agreement he has with the cosmos. There is a good chance it cannot be explained, especially by him.
Maybe that's because this is a musician who feels magic, both in himself and the world around him, and is open to the experience of whatever comes his way. It is not always easy, and can have a high demand on how a person lives. But it is the way that Escovedo is always moving forward.
On this new album, Alejandro Escovedo has taken a road rarely traveled, which is totally in keeping with how he has lived his life in music. Echo Dancing is an experiment in how to use the past to shape the future. By recording completely new and repurposed versions of songs from his past, Escovedo actually gets a chance to rewrite his own history. It's also an idea that pushes growth into the present, and asks an artist to see themselves anew. "I always feel that a well-written song can withstand a lot of abuse," Escovedo says. It is an area of creativity that the man has always honored. "Turning a past song inside out leads to discovery of new ideas you might not have understood about the song," he says. "Even lyrical refurbishing has proven helpful and effective. It's like interpreting your own work anew. The songs never seem to be complete. They are always evolving."
Alejandro and his band were fantastic - enjoyed the show immensely. BRUCE showing up - hanging in the crowd and then playing 3 songs with Alejandro at the end was the icing on the cake. We made lots of friends in the crowd - it was a night to remember!
40 yrs of rock n roll and this one of the best shows ever. Alejandro was great and with Bruce on the last three song's pushed it over the top! A hot summer night at the shore,cold beer and great rock n roll. That's the stuff dreams are made of.
i would've given this show 5 stars anyway but when you get a special appearance by The Boss it's better than amazing.
Every song was outstanding. Talented guitar, over the top drums. One word can describe my impression and why it was such a great show: PASSION Loved it, can't wait for my next Alejandro show! Thank you alejandro and the sensitive boys.
This one was a no-brainer. Radio was throwing out hints all week. All the bands were great! Special guest appearance...
Alejandro Escovedo/Sensitive Boys/Springsteen/Stone Pony Feel so lucky to have been there!
His music is great to begin with, but Alejandro is an infectious performer. He looked genuinely happy to be there, and like he was havng a great time. His voice was the best I've heard from him, and the band was tight. Having Bruce Springsteen show up for the encore was just an added bonus. He can really rock!
Alejandro Escovedo and the Sensitive Boys put on a magnificent show at the Stone Pony last night. His music is a rich mix of rock, punk, Tex-Mex, and he captured the crowd from the opening song.
Need I say any more. When Bruce showed up, the intensity went thru the roof. AWESOME!
Awesome, and lots of fun. Why isn't this guy more of a star?
Fantastic performance by a musician who continues to rise to new levels of magnificence. Alejandro presents each song as if he was sharing a special family heirloom he had just discovered--each song, even the old ones, he plays with fervor and intensity and feeling. The band was rock solid.
Alejandro Escovedo was absolutely off the hook last night at the Middle East! The band and set list was absolutely unbelievable and played with finess and style! I can't wait to see them again!
Great show, but the sound was too loud for the room, which was a dingy basement with no amenities. At least give us some chairs, guys, and how about starting less than 2 hours after the advertised start? Some people have to get up for work Tuesday mornings.
This is the 2nd time within a year that we experienced a concert by Alejandro at The Ark in Ann Arbor; the last one was in June 2009. Both times, we were in awe of the talent, the stories, and the overall concert experience. In June, Alejandro and David (isn't he the most talented guitarists ever?!?!?) were accompanied by their female violinist. Amazing! This time, Alejandro and David were accompanied by Hector (percussion) and Bobby (bassist). Amazing again! Some of the songs were repeats of the June concert...yet so different due to the band at the event. Would I come back to see him again? You betcha!
Playing some old and some new material was very crowd pleasing!! Looking forward to new release.
No strings, just Al his lead, bass & drum. Nice Show! A little hot and sticky ( Al thought he was in Thailand ) Opened w/ Always a Friend and some rock & roll from his punk days. He had about a 5 min. story before each song, kind of nice to get some background as to what he was thinking when he wrote the songs. Also talked about Chuck Prophet's help w/ song writing. Sister Lost Soul, Chelsea Hotel, Sensitive Boys, Swallows of San Juan and more. Closed w/ The Stones " Beast of Burden" Thought it was a great show!
The music was excellent despite the humidity!! Enjoyed the opening band too!
Someone unfamiliar with the subject matter probably would not have known what to expect out of Alejandro Escovedo's performance at the Minnesota Zoo's amphitheater last night, Saturday August 8, 2009. Most people who pay any attention to real music in this country have heard the mercurial story of Alejandro's journey to the edge of music's and life's boundaries with bands like the Nuns and Rank and File, how he leaned over the abyss, spit into it and came back. Much like the fabled bird of fiction, the phoenix, Escovedo rose from the ashes of serious illness which had cut him down in Arizona. But just like the true believer son of a prizefighter that he is, Escovedo has battled back to the point of "Real Animal" a reflective mixture of his history as an artist as well as somewhat of an homage to one of his big inspirations, the little, godfather of punk himself, Iggy Pop. Did I say homage? The music on "Real Animal" is like its inspiration in many ways, bare and open for all to see, like Iggy's chest, with broken beer bottles cuts and blood dripping from its wounds. From the autobiographical tale of living next to Sid and Nancy in the "Chelsea Hotel" to the stark beauty of "Sister Lost Soul" Escovedo has crafted another in his long list of musical tour de forces. Now, to someone hearing about Alejandro for the first time, this would make no sense. No, it makes perfect sense. My first glimpse of Alejandro on Saturday night, a night so warm and humid that Escovedo quipped that he felt like he was in Thailand, came on the side of the stage. With about three songs left in the set of the opening act, Romantica, Alejandro and his entire band, all four of them, came stage-side to check out several songs from this impressive, up and coming local band. Lead singer Ben Kyle, guitarist and pedal steel player Luke Jacobs, drummer James Orvis, and bassist and old Grumpy's pal, Tony Zaccardi turned in a performance such that Alejandro pronounced towards the end of his show: "I've played with alot of bands over the years; some good, some not so good and Romantica is definitely one of the good ones" and then invited Romantica's Kyle onstage for a raucous, call and response refrain ala Mick and Spleef during "Beast of Burden" replete with audience participation. But I'm getting way ahead of my self. My son August and I had arrived early, around 5:30 PM as a matter of fact, with plans on catching a quick tour of the Minnesota Zoo's much acclaimed Grizzly Coast exhibition. Much like the salmon swimming upstream in the Grizzly's faux Siberian river, August and I fought against the stream of leaving zoo patrons until we were all alone in large sections of the zoo. I hear the power chords opening of Alejandro's closest thing to a hit single, "Always a Friend" and it was off to the races for our seats. In a role reversal of epic proportions, I was reduced to fist pumping, lyric mouthing adolescence while my son looked over with one eye askance, as if to say "You're not going to embarrass me...again!" "You damn right", I think to myself. After this point, the evening becomes a blur, or more appropriately, like the hallucinatory montage sequence in Apocalypse Now but to the strains of a better soundtrack. From the aforementioned "Chelsea Hotel"(which made no sense or perfect sense) to the semi-autobiographical cover, "Everybody Loves Me", but I know why. One of the big reasons why is the always excellent side men and women Escovedo brings with him. This particular evening had Alejandro playing as a rock quartet backed by David Pulkingham on lead guitar, a fantastic bassist from Alabama and last but not least, the master of thunder, lord of the thighs, Hector Munoz, pound for pound the greatest drummer in the business this side of Michael Bland or say, Eric Gravat (that one's for Esmond). Mix in some old gems from By the Hand of the Father, my personal favorite Rosalee and the now customary, welcome back to the line-up version of "Castanets" complete with the absolutely hysterical story of the song's inspiration (female concert promoter in Tampa), who bears no similarity to certain real persons either living or near dead, such as , say a late 1980's version of Keith Richards but certainly no resemblance whatsoever to our own erstwhile Sue Mclean, who deserves Diva status for continuing excellence in concert bookings. As tornadoes and damaging severe thunderstorms were ravaging towns and communities just to the west and north of us, we listened to the final strains of "Beast of Burden". Real music by real animals, just another night at the Minnesota Zoo.
After seeing Alejandro Escovedo perform on Austin City Limits I knew he would put on a great show at MN Zoo Ampitheater. The show was very intimate, the sound was great and I enjoyed the fact that he performed many songs off of "Real Animal". Also, played one of his new songs for the audience. Can't wait for his next release. For one of the encore songs he covered a Rolling Stones song. It sounded great and looked like everyone had fun but I would have preferred one of his originals.
First saw Alejandro on PBS a few months ago. Decided then he is a "must see" and did not dissapoing at the Zoo concert last night. If you've not seen him, you should. Very humble guy and lots of great music with great musicians in his band and we loved every minute of it! Only sad the show couldn't last longer.
