Alejandro Escovedo is one of those artists who has lived three or four lives in the space of one. He’s seen what most have only read about in books, and thankfully, puts these experiences into his songs for us to hear. Escovedo brought his genre-spanning catalog to the 9:30 Club stage on Sunday with his usual self-possessed elegance. On songs like his anguished cover of The Band‘s “It Makes No Difference” and his searing “Chelsea Hotel ’78,” Escovedo proved Rolling Stone writer David Fricke right once again: “Musically, Alejandro Escovedo is in his own genre.”
Jesse Malin & St. Mark’s Social were the perfect choice as opener. While Malin’s set was tremendous by itself, the two bands joining together for Escovedo’s encore of Whiskeytown‘s “Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight,” The Rolling Stones‘ “Miss You,” and Johnny Thunders‘ “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory” was pure joy.
Alejandro Escovedo encore with Jesse Malin & St. Mark’s Social
Jesse Malin & St. Mark’s Social
(More photos from all sets can be seen here.)