In the disposable culture of today’s music industry, it’s almost inconceivable that a band could stay together for close to 40 years without the benefit of sustained platinum sales/arena-seating success while rising from a relatively narrow niche. Inconceivable for most bands but clearly not a problem for the massively talented Los Lobos, who formed in 1973 and shot to prominence with their magnificent debut, How Will the Wolf Survive?, answering that title question for the past quarter-century with a resounding, “Just fine, thanks,” oblivious and impervious to prevailing trends, making the music they love for a multi-cultural audience that loves them for it.
On 2010’s Tin Can Trust, the gifted L.A. quintet (David Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas, Louie Perez, Conrad Lozano and Steve Berlin) did best what they have always done well: combine their Mexican Folk/Cumbia heritage with an unflinching love of the Blues, Rock, Country and R&B in a beautifully constructed hybrid sound that is unmistakably their own. The band’s brilliance over their recorded history is that every subsequent album has advanced their evolution and yet sounded fresh and vibrant enough to be their sophomore album, and Tin Can Trust faithfully followed that blueprint.
Perhaps even more impressive is the almost cavalier approach the Los Lobos has taken in tweaking and experimenting with their creative process. Every album is another example of the band's timeless genius, every show is transcendent evidence of their undeniable wealth of talent and almost supernatural chemistry.
With these wolves on the case, the vampires don’t stand a chance.
LOS LOBOS plays the LULAC convention at the Duke Energy Center downtown. Buy tickets, check out performance times and get venue details here.
