A Concert
In 2005, I mentioned Alejandro Escovedo and said he was "one of the country's great, unappreciated musical legends."Well, he's not unappreciated any more.
In the last week, he's appeared on Conan O'Brien and the Today Show, and a few weeks ago, he opened for Bruce Springsteen. Jonathan Demme is filming a documentary about him. Rolling Stone reviewed his new album (Real Animal) and called it "a triumph."
Friday night, he had a show at the Continental Club to celebrate the release of new album.
As much as I appreciate his music, he's a little overexposed in our house--Gloria is an Alejandrologist--but there's no denying that both he and his group are brilliant. We went to the show at the Continental Club (which was being simulcast by KGSR), and it was sensational.
His band has six pieces: Alejandro Escovedo (guitar and lead vocals), lead guitar, bass, drums, cello, and violin. It's a lineup I've never seen in any other rock band, and if you think that the cello and violin somehow soften the sound, think again. They both shred.
KGSR is supposed to have a streaming link of the concert available, so you could hear what I'm talking about, but it's not up yet.
The Continental Club seats about 200, so the show was sold out well before it began. We were standing less than ten feet from the stage, and the stage is only elevated by a couple of feet, so it was an incredibly intense experience.
So intense, even, that a few people became really, really annoying. I'm talking to you, Woman In Her 50s Who Lives In A Commune And Has Pigtails The Size of Trophy Salmon With Sharper Elbows Than Dikembe Mutumbo. I'm also talking to you, Dustin Hoffman Lookalike Who Dies Everything But His Sideburns And Wears A Man Purse And Jerks His Head Back And Forth Like A Chicken On Meth Pecking His Feed.
I was getting bludgeoned by Salmon Pigtails on one side as she danced, and on the other side, Dustin Hoffman Lookalike kept smashing against me with his flaccid man purse.
"You mean that guy in front of me?" Gloria asked as we walked back to the car after the show.
"No, that was Vibrating Guy," I said. "He's incredibly polite--he never moves more than half an inch from where he's standing, even though it looks like his head could fly off at any time."
"I like him," Gloria said.
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