Peter Michael Escovedo is first and foremost a family man – The Vacaville Reporter

Peter Michael Escovedo will be joined by his father Pete Escovedo, original member of Santana, for an Allstars Show on May 18 at Vino Godfather (photo contributed by Peter Michael Escovedo)

Despite two Emmy nominations and a slew of credits, producer and musical director Peter Michael Escovedo tries to keep his feet on the ground. He credits his Christian faith – and his family – with instilling this attitude.

It’s no wonder, then, that Peter Michael Escovedo’s upcoming Allstars show is a homecoming show and a return to his roots. Joined on stage by his father, Pete Escovedo, who recently announced his retirement tour, Escovedo is relishing the opportunity to play alongside the legendary percussionist.

“Every time we play, I’m just looking at it in a different way to say, ‘Is this the last show?’ Escovedo said.

The Allstars show at Vino Godfather is significant in more ways than one for Escovedo. Returning to Vallejo takes Escovedo back to the place where he met his wife and where his own father worked on Mare Island.

Now living in Los Angeles to work in film, Escovedo sees these trips to the Bay Area as an opportunity to get the band back together.

“Every (show) has a different feel right now. When you’re a teenager and younger, you don’t even think about these things,” Escovedo said, recalling his early attitude toward family shows. At age 14, playing with his brothers, Escovedo remembers thinking that shows were fun, you did it and it was over.

But music was more prominent in his life than just shows.

It was not uncommon for the family’s living room to have all the furniture pushed up against the wall to accommodate her father’s 16-piece band. However, even with a band at the center of his home, Escovedo never thought he would make a living as a musician or artist.

“It happened little by little,” Escovedo said. Gradually, show after show until Escovedo did his first tour with the band Vallejo Con Funk Shun, followed immediately by Marving Gaye and then Lionel Richie.

“Now that we are all adults and have our own careers, every time we get together is special for all of us,” Escovedo said. “We see this whole season as something very special because we know it won’t last forever.”

Having separate careers has proven to be the Escovedo family’s secret sauce, making them stronger together. There was no threat of dissolution because they had already charted their own paths.

“We would come back and we would all be in town at the same time and start playing salsa or Latin jazz with my dad’s band,” Escovedo said. “Coming off a Lionel Richie tour and two days later playing with my dad’s band was a lot of fun.”

“When we were together we were together, when we weren’t together we were working somewhere else,” Escovedo said.

The musical arrangements reflect this dynamic, taking on a characteristic touch of the Escovedo family that is different from their commercial sound. All of the songs on the show Allstars are songs that Escovedo worked on or had a role in, whether he performed, recorded or produced them.

“We could do ‘My Cherie Amour,’ which we do more like a cha cha. We were able to arrange these songs a little more in line with the style we want to do,” said Escovedo, adding that Stevie Wonder has always been his favorite artist.

“And then, something that people wouldn’t think I would do — we’ll probably do ‘Dreams’ by Stevie Nicks,” Escovedo said. “The last time we were at Vino we played that song and everyone sang along.”

But as much as Escovedo enjoys being on stage and performing, he prefers the process over performance, saying “I enjoy the process and behind the scenes as much, if not more, than being on stage.”

He recalls his other hobby he shared with his father, when they painted watercolors. This initial artistic endeavor would later translate into his love of cinema. “Looking through the camera was like looking at a blank canvas,” Escovedo said.

Due to his deep appreciation for the narrative aspect, Escovedo does not allow himself to be pressured into producing art. That’s partly why his two albums are 20 years apart.

“I felt like I had nothing to say until then,” Escovedo explained. “The second album I made during Covid. I wasn’t writing songs for myself, I was just writing.”

On the cinematic horizon, Escovedo still has countless stories to tell, some of which cannot yet be revealed. He can talk about a film he wrote about the Tenderloin, which he will direct in San Francisco. Additionally, David Mickey Evans, whom Escovedo refers to as “Mr. Sandlot” is already attached to direct a family film similar to “Sandlot” that Escovedo is producing.

“These things come about organically and it’s good because I’m able to do what I want and say what I want, when I want,” Escovedo said.

IF YOU GO:

• WHAT: Peter Michael Escovedo Allstars Show with Pete Escovedo
• WHEN: May 18, 2pm
• WHERE: Padrinho Vino, 1005 Walnut Ave., Vallejo.
• TICKETS: $45 online, $50 at the door. Online at: ftpresents.com/events/peter-michael-escovedo-allstars/