Alejandro Escovedo is having a good year....

- For the first time in his 30 year career, Alejandro Escovedo has charted on Billboard's Top 200 coming in at #122 with his 9th solo album REAL ANIMAL. Released on June 24th, REAL ANIMAL also enters Billboard's Heatseeker/New Artist Chart at #3 with 6,178 in first week sales. A noted and accomplished artist, Escovedo was named No Depression's "Artist of The Decade" in 1998 and has enjoyed a loyal fan base that includes such luminaries as author Stephen King and filmmaker Jonathan Demme who provided REAL ANIMAL's evocative liner notes.

Alejandro has two NYC shows coming up. One is tonight at Highline Ballroom (July 9). The other is free and in exactly a month at Central Park Summerstage.

An Unexpected Mexico
Kinky
Alejandro Escovedo with Strings
Pistolera

Saturday, August 09, 2008, From 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Central Park SummerStage

Alejandro also appears on this:

Columbia Records will release Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's 'Magic Tour Highlights' on July 15 via all digital download stores, including the iTunes Store. The release will consist of four audio tracks with four accompanying videos, all recorded live in concert during the 'Magic' tour.

1. "Always A Friend" (performed with Alejandro Escovedo) (video)
Recording Date: 04/14/2008 (Houston, Texas)
2. "The Ghost of Tom Joad" (performed with Tom Morello)
Recording Date: 04/07/2008 (Anaheim, California)
3. "Turn Turn Turn" (performed with Roger McGuinn)
Recording Date: 04/23/2008 (Orlando, Florida)
4. "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" (Danny Federici's final performance with the E Street Band)
Recording Date: 03/20/2008 (Indianapolis, Indiana)

AA Bondy was recently added as the opener for the Highline Ballroom show tonight. Aquarium Drunkard recently spoke to Alejandro. Alejandro Escovedo recently played Coman O'Brien and The Today show. Those videos and all tour dates below....

Continue reading "ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO - 2008 Tour Dates, AA Bondy tonight, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, Conan, Today Show, and other stuff"

Danny Federici, the longtime keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen whose stylish work helped define the E Street Band's sound on hits from "Hungry Heart" through "The Rising," died Thursday. He was 58.

Federici, who had battled melanoma for three years, died at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. News of his death was posted late Thursday on Springsteen's official Web site.

He last performed with Springsteen and the band last month, appearing during portions of a March 20 show in Indianapolis.

Continue reading "Danny Federici, RIP (E Street Band)"

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band have confirmed shows at Giants Stadium, July 27, 28 and 31. While this is significantly short of the 10 shows the band presented at Giants Stadium in 2003, more concerts could (and, probably, will) be added, if the first three sell out. Springsteen has performed at the Meadowlands - Giants Stadium or the arena that is now called the Izod Center - 66 times. Fifty-one of those shows have been with the E Street Band. Virtually all have sold out. [NJ.COM]

Tickets go on sale December 15th. NY show info HERE. Bruce was nominated for four Grammys, but in sadder news...

Danny Federici, an original member of the E Street Band, is taking a leave of absence from the current Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band tour to pursue treatment for melanoma. Charles Giordano, who played with Bruce as a member of the Sessions Band, will temporarily fill in for Danny until he is able to return. Federici has been playing keyboards with Springsteen since the late Sixties. Said Springsteen, "Danny is one of the pillars of our sound and has played beside me as a great friend for more than 40 years. We all eagerly await his healthy and speedy return."

All tour dates below....

Continue reading "Bruce Springsteen adds 3 NJ shows, tour dates"