When I saw Alejandro Escovedo perform two weeks ago, it was a stripped-down affair. He and David Pulkingham performed a mostly quiet set on acoustic guitars, even venturing into the crowd for a few hushed songs.

That was nice, but Escovedo got a noisy boost last night, hopping up on stage with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in Houston for a run through his great new song, "Always a Friend to You." The Boss seems giddy, singing (and tastefully slurring through the parts he didn't remember) along as Escovedo leads the band through the tune. Too bad the album on which it will appear, Real Animal, doesn't appear for a couple of months. At least this ought to turn a few more people on to this vastly underrated talent.

Labels: music