Right or Happy: Reivers to record new album

The Reivers performed a short seven-song set at the Austin Child Guidance Center benefit of mostly new songs, which for all the world sounded like the natural follow up to 1991's Pop Beloved. Also, new Reiver Eric Friend, a Michigan native who moved to Texas in 1993 to attend UT, has joined the band on keyboards. Friend previously played piano for Spoon and Sally Crewe.

Opening with "All The Drunks Say Amen," a new song premiered in Austin in February, the band performed rousing versions of "Without My Sight" from the debut and "Dragonflies" from the old days. No-nonsense versions of such new songs as "Commitment," "If You Lived Here You'd Be Home By Now" and "Crazy" (according to thereivers.net) were also played. A crowd shout out for "Freight Train Rain" late in the mini-set was casually brushed aside, and John Croslin reported the band would be changing its name, as was hinted at early this year.

The new material is apparently being assembled for an album, though no details were provided from the stage. The final song "Setting Son" featured thunderous drums courtesy of Garrett Williams and could be a sonic cousin to "Ragamuffin Man."

Hard-to-Believe Fun fact: Croslin said the Reivers had not played with Alejandro Escovedo prior to Thursday night.

DNC Unites with "American Girl"

Hillary Clinton spoke to unite differing factions of the Democratic National Convention, shortly after a film bio of her life, featuring a soundtrack with large snippets of the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” and Tom Petty’s “American Girl.”

The melancholy conclusion to Petty’s “American Girl” was not heard:

God it's so painful
Something that's so close
And still so far out of reach

Oh yeah, all right
Take it easy baby
Make it last all night
She was an American girl

Meanwhile, Austin's Alejandro Escovedo was tapped to perform “People (We’re Only Gonna Live So Long)” from his new album Real Animal a couple of hours before Clinton’s speech in Denver. “These are unbalanced times, and great change is needed,” Escovedo says on his website. “To be included in this celebration of the dignity and freedom of women and minorities is an honor.”



Escovedo plays a benefit Thursday at Antones for the Austin Child Guidance Center, with the recently reunited Reivers. Tix are reportedly sold out, though a few will be available at the door (7 pm).