Alejandro Escovedo - "Castanets" Live at NO Jazz Fest

[mkl62]

1-10-2012. He's havin' fun at 61. Happy Birthday, Alejandro.

[AliasKelly]

Love this song - your political comments, not so much. You are a performer, dude - leave it at that.

[jerseytarzan2]

This is why we can't have bi-partisanship because, a guy like ALejandro thinks the fact that he has muscial talent he is an expert on politics. And so many douchebags in Washington believe that too. Meanwhile Alejandro does not attck his friend Bruce Sprringsteen for avoiding NJ property taxes.

Alenjandro why don't you write a song that fixes entitlement spending, solves all the problems in the Mddel East and fixes 9.2% unemployment and 50% plus employment among our most vulnaerable?

[SparkyMcBiff]

@jerseytarzan2

9.2% unemployment?!!??

Ha ha. In your dreams.

Try doubling that at least and in many places it is over 20%.

Here's a note for you: the government lies.

[kriptideband]

sorry I did not mean to post three times one is enough.

[kriptideband]

I think the President made a mistake to put you on his list You are not Jazz Musicians!!!! Why are you their??? its The NewOrleans Jazz Fest!!! I say jazzzz Fest!!!!! Not gingle gangle fest!

[kriptideband]

I think the President made a mistake to put you on his list You are not Jazz Musicians!!!! Why are you their??? its The NewOrleans Jazz Fest!!! I say jazzzz Fest!!!!! Not gingle gangle fest!

[SquirlyDounut]

It is America,everybody gets and opinion. This duke earned himself a mic to speak it into, furthermore he is getting paid dearly to do it! Live with it. I will NEVER stop talking about what Bush allowed to happen to this country while everyone was out shopping with money they didn't have. Notice I did say he did anything to the country, not smart enough to come up with the plan just dumb enough to let it happen.

[kriptideband]

@SquirlyDounut Bill give us the money to shop with! he made banks give loans to people that could not aford it. fanny mea and bobby mac! lol are who ever they are. now they all lost there homes because you can only roll your bills for so long before they catch up!

[sloroll01]

"I liked it better when he only played, oh ya, I liked it better when he only played." LOL

[sgabe7]

@sloroll01 Amen!

[rubbersole79]

what the fuck is he talking about, and why is he talking about it, like anybody gives a damn.

[deaddoc]

I agree with those who say politics and music should be kept separate.  However, Alejandro couldn't hold himself back, and said some pretty dumb things, like building a wall around Texas to keep Bush out. Too much pot smoking there, hombre. You got lucky when you were birthed on this side of the border.

[YooperG]

@deaddoc yeah, what gives a native-born American the right to criticize his gov't / oh year, the 1st Amendment. Never mind.

[deaddoc]

@YooperG Don't try to fool me, he's an interloper with other allegiances. Like that soccer game in LA the other day, where all the native born Americans booed the U.S. team, booed the National Anthem, and held the award ceremonies in Spanish.

[birdiejoehoaks]

@deaddoc id build a wall to keep bush out.

[matthewlagrange3000]

Man. If you get your politics from musicians, folks like MusicWriter1965, and or Fox/CNN, you should probably just shut up and enjoy a song by someone who has no political science degree and is obviously a big fan of group think. If I held artists to the high standard of having a working brain in their head, I'd nevefr see another Sean Penn movie, listen to another Beatles song, etc. for the rest of my life. These people make their life's work PRETENDING. Problems with reality, anyone?

[SURRENDERD0RTHY]

no point in bitching about bush anymore, the damage is done. lets get on with trying to fix things and enjoying the music. hope i can catch the next show in st. louis!!

(ps, glad he went back to texas we can't afford one more idiot here)

[wmd66]

Bush in namy ways equals Obama.....you elected a slick talking snake oil salesman. I hope you are enjoying your bottles of cure all "Hope and Change"

[betterdays105]

@wmd66 - Yes, Obama did not defend our nation when it was attacked, he failed to find the man responsible for the attacks, he busted the budget with tax cuts for the rich, and he started a war against a nation that did not attack us. Meanwhile, Obama gave me the largest tax refund in my life, saved the nation from depression, and got the money-sucking banks out of the student loan business. Hope and Change!

[onebobtwo]

@betterdays105 beautiful better. simply beautifully put. thanks

[betterdays105]

So glad he commented on the appointed one, Bush II. We should NEVER forget how he almost destroyed our nation. Glad that musicians voice their opinions. They are citizens too.

[wmd66]

VERY True!! Obama in many ways equals Bush only worse.....you elected a slick talking snake oil salesman. I hope you are enjoying your bottles of cure all "Hope and Change"

[vuce2000]

Way to ruin a great song by injecting politics into. What an ass.

[70oskie]

@vuce2000

I would totally aqree 200%.... Stick to music not politics. This is why I'm no a fan of Bruce anymore......love Southside Johnny.

[winkiened2]

Nice one!

[22clodius]

what is the words,thanks

[ajlongstein]

Count yer blessings, carnale.

ya could be in a position where yer NOT playing prestigious, kiss-ass gigs in New Orleans, OR be in a position where yer art reaches the Leader of the Free World's ears.

[sdbevel]

This is a great song.  I can understand why he was unhappy that Bush had this on his ipod.

[wxgesr]

Love Alejandro's music. Keep politics out of it, unless it is a protest song. Muse has some good protest songs out now.

[ethicomm]

You've got -6 but I agree you.

[ribcocked]

discovered,Alejandro,about 7 years ago and i still think his,'a man under the influence 'C.D is the dogs bollocks

[mintgirl45]

AND Susan Voelz rocks the fiddle, too---love when she's with the band!

[mintgirl45]

Al is my FAVORITE! Wimberley for life!

[sloroll]

Your smart guy is doing everything the same as Bush.LOL Big spending, troops in Iraq, more in Afganistan, cabinet members that can't pay taxes, more and more lies......

[MusicWriter1965]

@sloroll Fuck you and fuck your mother, you slobbering, slack-jawed fucking retard. Or do I mean, disgraceful fucking liar? I can never tell the difference when it comes to right wing human fucking filth

[Pissankle]

@MusicWriter1965 Smug liberal crotch-barber

[scottay69]

Bush is/was an ass, sorry, it amazing to finally have a president that is smart and can speak intelligently

[WNRNradio]

Alejandro visited us this week and did an awesome version of this. Check out the video at my page.

[sloroll]

Crap....I almost started to like this guy, oh well. What a chump!

[exile103]

Yeah, a guy who hs dedicated his life to making great, intelligent, beautiful music and gives tons of time and a lot of money to charities and asks nothing in return. Sounds like a real chump to me. Hey, at least that means I won't into an ass like you at his shows!

[clwagener]

Wow, wasn't it cool when people where stoned to death in Afghanistan for listening to music like this? W liberated 60,000,000 and counting. What have you accomplished in the last 8 years?

[trangmcgee]

Why are you so morbid and angry? This guy has dedicated his life to music; he is a musician. He's performing songs; that's his career. As if you've never BSed about politics at work...

[gamoonbat]

I like W better walking away.

[exile103]

wasn't it cool when W took the lives of over 6,000 Americans in Afghanistan and Iraq in a complete and total waste of life, trillions of dollars and endless time and energy. It's even cooler how he wouldn't allow pictures to be taken of those being brought back in flag-draped caskets. How cool! You freakin moron! W. liberated the Afghans like Stalin liberated the Czechs.

[eplouie]

The more I hear Alejandro Escovedo, the more I love this guy. I used to see him play all the time at the Ajax Lounge in San Jose, California. This song is wonderful, and I love his introduction to it.

I like naradajim's comment that LOUIE LOUIE is political. With this in mind, I'm looking forward to more politicians saying "me gotta go..."

[betterdays105]

Music and politics have mixed in our political history since before this nation was founded. People like Alejandro Escovedo have greater insight than 99% of the people on cable news.

[arthurcrandall]

Let's ignore the first minute and a half - don't look to musicians for political insight - and just agree that this song is an outstanding specimen of rock and roll. Alejandro puts on a very energetic live show, and this is evidence. The violin solo is awesome - we need more rock fiddle. Rock on, Susan Voelz, rock on.

[indygochild]

Please remember that musicians are people just like all of us, and they have the right to speak up just like you. Judging from the disasters wrought by the leaders in Washington to date, I'd say they hardly have a monopoly on political smarts.

[gamoonbat]

The song will work a lot better this way, now that President Bush has walked away and gone back to Texas.

[cryingsoftly]

Please don't trap him in Texas. I live in Texas. Send him elsewhere.

[milwaukiejohn]

Yeah, even war criminals!

[punsterva]

Watch out, your partisanship is showing...

[milwaukiejohn]

Morality = partisanship to the dead-end 23%.

[punsterva]

It's too bad his politics get in the way of his realization that you should celebrate ANYONE who likes your music.

[naradajim]

rock and roll without politics is called bubblegum.

[punsterva]

What if Barak Obama liked "Sugar Sugar?" That's a politician liking bubble gum. Would your head explode?

[naradajim]

I'm guessing you think that's pretty clever, but it just shows that a. You're so shallow that you think the word "political" is necessarily dem vs. rep. or some such crap. b. that your knee jerk reaction to my statement is "he must be liberal and support Barack Obama."

Wrap your pointed head around this. Louie Louie is political. Roll Over Beethoven is political. True rock and roll will always be rebellious one way or another, and rebellion is political. Escovedo has always been a rebel.

[punsterva]

Gee, what clever name-calling! Rebellion and politics are two different things. I love the rebellious nature of rock 'n' roll. I just resent the endless descent into partisan politics.

I think it is Escovedo who is being knee-jerk here. He dislikes a politician who enjoys his music, so he has to stop playing a truly likeable song. I think that's sophomoric.

[mrsdube]

pun, he dislikes a politician who is destroying our costitution....our country...the planet. Everyone who has access to a microphone should be doing what Escavado is doing. You know why? Because 6 Corporate Conglomerates own all of the major media.....and they spew propaganda 24/7. Democracy is not...or should not be a spectator sport. You can label it "partisan". I call it AMERICAN !

[stephiemtx]

Alejandro is the man! And I love to hear him talk. Sing. Play. Anything.  What a great great songwriter/musician. And his band is killer, no doubt. Thanks for posting.

[ragebeam2]

Why does he have to talk?

[84bozeman]

@ragebeam2 really shhhhhhhhhhhhhh buddy this is a great song



[wojtek0000]

@ragebeam2 Because he has a personality. You on the other hand are a drone.

[MarekPick]

@ragebeam2 You soul is gonna BURN

[murphyssaloon]

This is a GREAT video, of course. My only quibble is that the video doesn't show the ENTIRE string section that's part of Alejandro's full band. Susan is a killer violinist, no question, but Matt Fish and Brian Standifer also deserve props for being the best rock 'n' roll cellists around!

[3aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

I agree with you but this is propley one of the best performens of Castanets that got the feale cratet from when you see in his concert

[LisaLaky]

Love this song...and David Pulkingham on guitar is the bomb!!!!!