By Paul T. Mueller –
If this was really goodbye for Alejandro Escovedo, it was a nice way to go.
The singer-songwriter seemed to be in the mood for introspection and retrospection as he took the stage at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston on Friday, July 19. He referred to his having recorded 15 albums (Wikipedia counts 16) and said he’s reaching the end of his touring days, calling his current run his “last tour.”
He spent the next hour and 40 minutes playing songs drawn from much of his long career, beginning with several from his most recent album, The Crossing, and continuing with selections from earlier days. The show had been billed as a solo gig, but Escovedo was joined by Jackson Butt, a percussionist and former Escovedo tour manager who on this night provided sparse but effective accompaniment, mostly on an Arabic tambourine known as a riq.
Escovedo punctuated the 16-song set with stories from his colorful career, which began more than four decades ago with punk and hard rock outfits including the Nuns, Rank and File and the True Believers. He referred to his near-fatal bout with liver disease in the early 2000s, offering thanks to the many who supported him in his recovery and providing an intense rendition of “Arizona,” an account of the aftermath of that episode. Next came the story of how he moved to Austin in 1980 and was befriended by an older neighbor who’d been a touring musician and had many stories of his own. He followed with a tribute to that friend, the moving “Five Hearts Breaking.” He also found time to mention the rich musical tradition of his family, including his brothers Pete and Coke Escovedo and niece Sheila E, among many others.
Escovedo and Butt left the stage mid-set and moved into the audience for two songs, “Rosalie,” a sweet love story about a young couple separated by the U.S.-Mexico border, and “I Wish I Was Your Mother,” a quietly powerful song by ‘70s English rockers Mott the Hoople, in honor of Escovedo’s longtime musical hero, Mott frontman Ian Hunter.
Other highlights included a lively version of crowd favorite “Castanets” and hard-edged takes on “Fire and Fury,” a response to the policies of the current administration, and “Sally Was a Cop,” an indictment of militaristic violence. The show ended on a gentler note with “Always a Friend” from the breakthrough 2008 album Real Animal.
It’s probably fair to call Alejandro Escovedo one of the best-loved performers in American roots music. He’ll be missed when he does leave the road for good. After the show, at least one audience member asked him to come back, and Escovedo said he would. We can hope.