Photo by Blaine Schultz
Alejandro Escovedo at The Cooperage 2022
Alejandro Escovedo at The Cooperage
Any time a venue books a show during Summerfest, they realize it is a crap shoot. Good thing Alejandro Escovedo has been punching above his weight since he formed The Nuns in 1977.
On Saturday, The Cooperage managed to host a wedding reception while adjacent Boone & Crockett inside had DJs spinning sets of slamming Northern Soul; the taco truck was set up outside and Escovedo and his band played a free show on the Boone Patio with opener Hanna Simone.
It felt like a backyard concert, that is, if you could ignore the surreality of the massive cruise ship docked across the harbor let alone the bright neon Ferris wheel over at the Big Gig.
Rock and roll survivor Escovedo mentioned this was a chance to reacquaint the band with the road and flex their musical muscle; ostensibly it was a warmup show for his Sunday’s headlining slot at Fitzgerald’s American Music Festival in Berwyn, IL.
If the Saturday’s stage lights where too bright, Escovedo simply donned a pair of mirror shades, which also served to complete his OG-glam look; he’s always appreciated the dapper trappings of a true rock star.
Charging out of the blocks with “Put You Down” and the moody “Dear Head on the Wall,” the band had a rock edge that utilized Scott Danborn’s keyboard playing to evoke moods Escovedo has found with string players in the past. Picking his punches, he left the fireworks to the lead guitarist, but on a few tunes Escovedo squeezed out sparks of blues-punk riffage from his white Gibson Junior, recalling the blaze of his tenure with Austin axe army, The True Believers.
Throughout the set Escovedo subtly name-checked the producers he’s been lucky enough to work with, a staggering list that includes John Cale, Jim Dickinson, Tony Visconti, Stephen Bruton and Chris Stamey. The set moved easily from the balladry of “Sensitive Boys,” to the exuberance of “Always a Friend” to the twisted legend “Castanets.” Without the presumption of asking for an encore, Escovedo set his guitar down and crooned, as the band grooved into the Stones’ sleaze “Beast of Burden” with the singer strolling into the crowd, serenading the faithful dancers up front.
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Escovedo’s ties to Milwaukee go back at least as far as headlining Gil Fest, the legendary Downer Avenue street festival. Up until Saturday, his most recent stop was another free show at Humboldt Park in 2017. Ironically, one of his last pre-pandemic shows was in Door County.
Hanna Simone and band opened the evening with a laid back set the put the evening in motion. Her indie-soul vocals were perfectly balanced by a band that featured a clutch of chill saxophone solos.
