Alejandro Escovedo

Hometown hero Escovedo has made a tradition out of his unofficial fest-closing fundraiser at the legendary Continental Club. Clearly happy to be alive after a nearly fatal bout of hepatitis, Escovedo and his friends (both band-mates and crowd members) ran through a passionate and wonderfully eclectic set that went through string-laden folk, widescreen roots rock and even some surprisingly punked-up ragers. Destined to be one of the singer-songwriters revered by peers but underappreciated by the masses, it was simply wonderful to watch someone with that much talent simply revelling in it.