It was a perfect evening for some great rock and roll and Alejandro Escovedo did not disappoint. We arrived at The Mint in the middle of the opening act's set. The Estate played an interesting set of... well I'm not quite sure how to describe it. The lead singer had a voice that kept reminding me of Janis Joplin. It is a bit high for a man and just gravelly enough to make you clear your throat every so often. There was a lot of passion in it and the songs sounded real good. I'm going to have to pick up the CD and give him/them more of a listen.
Alejandro came out with a standard rock and roll lineup: guitar, bass, drums, violin and cello. It really is a great grouping and all of the musicians happen to be pretty good on top of that. The Wild Colonials, during their Christmas shows, used to at times have a lineup that was a bit like this. And with both bands, when they are all up there, you get a really full sound. And so, at the end of the show for example, when the band just kicks some ass during Castanets , it sounds GREAT. And I love a band that is having a good time on stage. You can see it in their eyes; especially while trading off solos with each other.
Alejandro introduced two new songs: Sister Lost Soul and Sensitive Boys. Both are going to be recorded in L.A. next month (hopefully!). The new album is supposed to be a sort of travelogue of the places and times where Alejandro Escovedo has lived. Sister Lost Soul is about the rockers whom he admired that are no longer with us. Sensitive Boys was dedicated to his brother. Both songs sounded great.
There were no real surprises in the set, with the band playing lots of favorites throughout the hour and a quarter. What may have been the highlight for some (it was for me) was saved for last with a beautiful version of Ian Hunter's "I Wish I Was Your Mother". There was a beautiful a cappella section near the end that just made the evening. With that he left the stage with promises to try and come back next month. Watch The Mint's web site for more info. Also, you can check out Sin City, the promoter of the show. And, of course, Alejandro Escovedo can be found here: http://www.alejandroescovedo.com/ .
Oh... Sorry for the crappy picture. It's a new camera and I really didn't have time to play with it before the show. And then suddenly we were surrounded by amazingly tall people.
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