Alejandro Escovedo tells us what it's like to jam with Bruce Springsteen.
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.”
I was running late [to get to Houston]. I had no idea this was going to happen. About two hours out, my wife and I are getting a text from my manager saying Bruce wants to do “Always a Friend,” can you be here in 45 minutes for sound check? Well, obviously I can’t be there, I’m about two hours away.
So we finally get there. I get taken to Bruce’s dressing room; he’s got the lyrics written out. He plays it and we sing it together and we talk for a little while, about 30 minutes. Then he calls the band in; the band already knew it. We went through it with the band, [went over] who was going to do the riff and so on.
After we went through it in Bruce’s dressing room, I went out to watch the show. And now I’m getting a little freaked out, by this time. So we go out and watch, and that was my first Springsteen show. And it was unbelievable, just unbelievable! So powerful, so cool. The songs—just unbelievable. And the audience; his connection with the audience is like nothing I’ve ever seen. And you know, he’s just the sweetest; he’s like a real guy.
Photo: Mick Rock
And so then during the first encore I’m taken to the back. I don’t even have my guitar yet, but I’m hanging. Then Bruce comes back and puts on some headphones and listens to the CD, listens to it and he’s got the groove. We talk it over a little bit, then he goes up and he says, “I’m gonna introduce you.” Then he goes out and says the nicest things: “This guy’s been making good records for a long time now. He’s probably made his best record. It’s gonna come out June 24th—it’s called Real Animal.” He plugged it twice.
Then he had me up. They gave me the guitar, I go up and we did it and it was the biggest rush—18,000 people! And you know what’s funny, when my wife and I drove back—you know it’s a long drive for us and we were tired—after that we were just so high. We’re still high from it. It was just such a great, great day.
Now that you've read Alejandro Escovedo's reaction. Why don't you check out the footage and get the chills yourself.
