(December 26, 2016) – Legendary Texas rocker Alejandro Escovedo brings the Burn Something Beautiful Band – featuring members of R.E.M, Young Fresh Fellows, Fastbacks and the Baseball Project – and his distinctive catalog of original, punk-infused roots-rock songs to Club Helsinki Hudson on Friday,January 6, at 8pm. Indie-rock supergroup The Minus 5 – which bears a remarkable resemblance to the Burn Something Beautiful Band – opens the evening.

Texas-raised Mexican-American Alejandro Escovedo – the uncle of pop-funk star Sheila E – is a one-time punk-rocker mostly playing original alt-country music since before there was such a term. His music today ranges from Velvet Underground-style drone rock to classic punk to Los Lobos-like Chicano rock to Rolling Stones covers to idiosyncratic, character-based visionary music along the lines of Tom Waits.

Escovedo’s most recent album, “Burn Something Beautiful,” was released in October 2016 via Fantasy Records. The new album, Escovedo’s first solo endeavor since 2012’s highly acclaimed “Big Station,” is a highly collaborative affair. Teaming with Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Scott McCaughey (The Minus 5) to co-write the album’s songs, Escovedo also enlisted the pair to act as the project’s producers.

Escovedo, who has recorded with Ryan Adams, Whiskeytown and Jon Dee Graham, is both a critic’s darling (No Depression magazine, the bible of alt-country, called him Artist of the Decade in the 1990s) and a musician’s musician (rock historian and Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye contributed the biographical tribute to Escovedo on the latter’s website).

For the last five years, Escovedo’s career has been overseen by the same team that has long managed Bruce Springsteen. The Boss’s longtime guitarist, Miami Steve Van Zandt aka Little Steven of the Underground Garage aka Silvio Dante on the Sopranos, has also been a big champion of his.

In recent years, Escovedo has teamed with Helsinki favorite Chuck Prophet for songwriting and Tony Visconti (David Bowie) for producing. Escovedo credits Prophet for the hints of lightness and humor that have been creeping into his work the past few years.

Escovedo will be backed by The Burn Something Beautiful Band, an all-star group featuring Peter Buck of R.E.M., Scott McCaughey of Young Fresh Fellows, Kurt Block of Fastbacks, and Linda Pitmon of the Baseball Project.

Opening the evening is the indie-rock supergroup The Minus 5, the personnel of which bears a remarkable resemblance to the Burn Something Beautiful Band.

For reservations in The Restaurant or in the club call 518.828.4800. For the most up-to-date concert information, visit www.helsinkihudson.com.

Club Helsinki Hudson is located at 405 Columbia Street in Hudson.