Alejandro Escovedo’s solo return to The Hamilton in DC Saturday began with the ferocity and volume of his earliest punk days, about which he was singing. It ended with songs performed so softly, and without amplification, you practically had to hold your breath to hear.
It was the last night of a three week solo tour just before a full band slot at the New Orleans Jazz & Pop Festival May 1. And already he was ruminating about his next big project: looking back at 50 years in music, in song and story. Therefore, a big chunk of his solo show had to do with introducing songs, or groups of them, with detailed reminiscence of all the scenes he got to be part of.
That included opening the final Sex Pistols concert at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom and checking in with fellow Chelsea Hotel resident Sid Vicious before he was taken away in cuffs. Those stories took up the first several minutes of his set before he finally dove into a trio of songs that defined that era (and were written decades later), “Nuns Song,” “Chelsea Hotel ’78,” and “Sacramento and Polk.” The feedback in his guitar and the distortion of his voice through one of those vintage harmonica microphones helped recreate the aggression of those gritty songs.
Even when he switched to acoustic guitar, his songs had a strange electronic undertow, possibly pre-taped, that he has credited to Portland, OR. producer Brandon Eggleston. Lest you think he was dependent on surrounding electronics and effects boxes in lieu of a band, however, Escovedo unplugged entirely for a couple of songs he meant to sing while strolling through the audience. Logistics of the club meant he only just walked around the stage unamplified instead (and on only one side of the stage since his rig of guitars prevented him from strolling to the other side.
Nevertheless, he was still mostly audible, thanks to the hushed attention of the crowd, providing the kind of silence impossible to imagine on a Washington Saturday night. That he could be heard was also thanks to the strength of his voice at 74. Hearing his naked voice and guitar without amplification gave an extra jolt of humanity to already strong songs like “Something Blue” and “San Antonio Blue.”
Back at his plugged-in acoustic guitar and microphone, he closed the show with the crowd pleasing “Always a Friend” that was preceded by a long story about the time he sang it at a packed arena in Houston with Bruce Springsteen in 2008 (they shared a manager at the time in Jon Landau). Compared to the Boss, it would seem nine songs would make for a skimpy set. But Escovedo was on stage for more than 90 minutes, indicating just how long his spoken introductions really were.
They were engaging enough stories, and often funny, but when someone shouted something from the crowd, it would throw him off, as if he’d memorized a lot of this narrative already. So get ready; when he gets his 50 year memoir and tour together, it may go on for hours.
An unexpected highlight for the show was having Jeffrey Gaines as opener. With a forceful style on his acoustic guitar and a bellowing voice that allowed him to sing a foot or two from the microphone, he was engaging with his own material as he was with his interpretation of some covers.
It was a cover of Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” that helped put him on the map. As well received as that was in concert, his rendition of Elvis Costello’s “Riot Act” was bracing. And he closed with David Bowie’s “Five Years,” reminding how ominous and possible its warnings are now, sung just two blocks from the White House.
