Escovedo Grinds Out Great Rock for ACL Taping

Alejandro Escovedo made his first Austin City Limits appearance in 1983, when he was still a member of Rank & File. On Friday night, he knew it would be his last chance to rock Studio 6A before ACL moves to its new downtown digs, so he came out firing, ready to give the joint a good shakedown with material from his forthcoming album, Street Songs of Love.

But first, he had to get something out of the way: the song that raised his cred with millions of Springsteen fans, “Always a Friend.” It’s a rousing, rollicking tune, one that also would have made a very fitting encore. But it also set the band’s energy level, which stayed cranked all night.

With his band, the Sensitive Boys—the ever-awesome team of David Pulkingham on guitar and Hector Muñoz on drums, plus keyboardist David Boyle and newbie bassist Bobby Daniel, with backing vocalists Karla Manzur and Gina Holton—Escovedo played almost every track from his new disc, and several from 2008’s “Real Animal.” He dipped back into his early repertoire only once, for “Everybody Loves Me,” from “Bourbonitis Blues.” He and Pulkingham spat out a wicked guitar jam on it, leaning in close to one another as they stabbed out notes.

“Street Songs” was introduced as a song about the Continental Club/South Congress Avenue area, “and the people I’ve met along the way.” One of those people, the late Stephen Bruton, was the subject of a sweet story and a special musical moment. After the True Believers folded, Escovedo said, he was playing the Hole in the Wall and working at Waterloo Records, and figured that might be it for his musical aspirations. But he kept spotting this jogger around, and wasn’t sure what to make of him. “I thought he was a dealer,” Escovedo joked. He asked around, found out who Bruton was, and they got to be friends.

“He was the first one who took me aside and said, ‘We’re gonna make an album,’” Escovedo recalled. Bruton produced Escovedo’s first three solo albums, witnessed the birth of his children and stayed by his side during the hard times. “I really miss him,” Escovedo confessed. “This song’s for him.” Then he played a powerfully emotional version of “Sister Lost Soul,” with Manzur and Holton singing gospel-influenced backing vocals.

Though Escovedo rightly characterizes the new album as a rocker, it’s got some fine ballads as well, and they were well showcased—particularly “Meteor Shower,” a gorgeous tune with shimmering guitar work from Pulkingham.

Unfortunately, Springsteen, who does a dynamic duet with Escovedo on the track “Faith,” did not appear. But they kicked out the jams just fine without him.

“It took me a long time to get here on ‘Austin City Limits,’” Escovedo said, “but I’m glad I did.”

By Lynne Margolis – Texas Music Matters

http://texasmusicmatters.kut.org/2010/05/10/escovedo-grinds-out-great-rock-for-acl-taping/