Music series announces spring artist

LANCASTER - Alejandro Escovedo will be the headline act at the Covered Bridge Music Series spring concert April 30 at Ohio University Lancaster's Wagner Theatre.

The Covered Bridge Music Series is affiliated with OUL and the Lancaster Festival. Fairfield National Bank President Steve Wells is a festival board member and said the festival and college each want to present musical acts all year and not just during the summer event.

Wells said Escovedo's background is a mix of rock, alternative country and punk. He comes from a musical family and his niece is Sheila E, a Prince protege who had a hit in 1984 with "The Glamorous Life." Other family members have played for the rock band Santana, among other bands.

Wells said this will be the eighth Covered Bridge event since 2013. Most of the Covered Bridge events have either been in the Wagner Theatre or outside near the covered bridge on the OUL campus.

"We try to see acts ahead of time or at least research them before having them here," he said.

He saw Escovedo perform in Nelsonville with a full band, but Escovedo said he will perform as a duo with a violinist or cellist for the OUL show. He said his music is eclectic with some jazz touches thrown in. Escovedo said he owns numerous guitars, and said a 1956 Gibson acoustic is one of his favorites.

Escovedo, a Dallas resident who has occasionally performed with Bruce Springsteen, said he has numerous influences including Ian Hunter, Townes Van Zandt and Bob Dylan. He also is influenced by Ernest Hemingway and French poetry and said that songwriting is a mysterious process.

"I write on the guitar, and some ideas come from there," Escovedo said. "Others just come out of the air."

The idea of the Covered Bridge Music Series is not a mystery, however.

"We hope to build more awareness and see some really talented musicians," Wells said. "Some of them people have heard of, some maybe not. But we always want to have a good performance."

Wells says the ticket prices for the Escovedo show have not yet been determined.

People who want to learn more about Escovedo can visit his website at www.alejandroescovedo.com. There also are several concert performances on YouTube, including some with Springsteen.

jbarron@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4340

Twitter: @JeffDBarron