Photo: James Minchin

Sticking to roots applies to a lot more than music.

The itinerary for Los Lonely Boys’ first week of promotion for their new album, Forgiven, includes high profile gigs like Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic and Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show.” But it starts with an in-store at the Wal-Mart in San Angelo. The big one on the west side of town, not far at all from the Texican Chop Shop. That’s the garage where oldest brother Henry Garza used to work on cars, the last job he had before he could support himself and his family just by playing music. He and his buddy at the shop used to talk about owning the place someday. Now Henry does own it with his brothers JoJo and Ringo.

Photo: Mary Sledd

 It’s not everyday a working musician has the chance to meet one of the living legends of rock ‘n’ roll. Most don’t in a lifetime. But Austin’s favorite son not only met Bruce Springsteen, Alejandro Escovedo performed one of his own songs with The Boss and the E Street Band before 18,000 crazed fans in Houston’s Toyota Center in April of this year. The tune is off his upcoming release, Real Animal ,  which received the plug of a lifetime that night. In an exclusive interview, Escovedo gave us the scoop on the exciting event:

Before those four minutes, Austin City Limits had changed my career more than anything up to that point. But those four minutes were the most important four minutes in the 30 years I’ve been doing this. [Springsteen] learned my song; he taught the band “Always a Friend.”