Home By Eleven

All in all, it was a pretty good day with a nice morning drive across the state, a good message from the good reverend, dinner with the family, playing with some nieces & nephews, a nice rainy afternoon drive back across the state, a nice dinner at the Shawmut Inn courtesy of the best waitress ever & one of the finest concerts I've ever seen.

Unfortunately, Alejandro Escovedo didn't play my favorite song of his that this blog was named after (it just happened to be that I got home by eleven), but I wouldn't have traded it for any other song in his set.

The Wealthy Street Theatre is a small, quaint place to see a show, with great acoustics, especially considering we were in the front row. When Dan & I arrived, it looked to be a poor crowd, with the 400 seat theatre only about a third full. After your average, run of the mill acoustic opening act, I decided we should seize the rare opportunity to sit in the front row (although there are no bad seats in the house) for a show with the caliber of this.

Alejandro Escovedo is one of those rare musicians who has garnered great critical acclaim among other musicians, but has a relatively small following & small album sales. Attending a show like this lets you know you're among kindred spirits, nobody goes to a concert like this because it's "the place to be", & there are no "hits" that attract the casual fan.

Alejandro looked to be in good health, & there was only one minor allusion to his near fatal illness that he recovered from. He said, "we'll be back, we're getting up & around alot more these days."

applause is kind of bullsh*t. it'd be something if everyone just stood there silent.

Bob Dylan, Don't Look Back

I kind of agree with this statement. I clap my hands at a show because it's rather impolite not to, but it has nothing to do with my enjoyment of a show. If there's any musicians reading this blog, if you are ever playing a show & there's a dude in the front row with a goofy grin on his face, tapping his toe like he's killing a million ants, there's a pretty good chance that whatever your playing is coming across to your audience.

This was certainly the case for me tonight. I didn't think much of the new album, but those songs came alive in a live performance. The band is as tight as any I've seen, with a cello & a violin that come up with a symphony & a jam in the same song. The quick smiles the band shoots each other during a song shows that things are clicking, & they clicked all night. Alejandro can break your heart with one song & kick you in the ass on the next. There was a sign for the radio station, that says folk, blues, jazz, rock & worldbeat. This band had it all.

Five Favorite Songs of the Day

Dear Head on the Wall
Baby's Got New Plans
I Wish I Was Your Mother
Don't Know Why
Evita's Lullaby

Have a good week, friends, it was good to see everybody!

andrew