If all you know about Los Lobos is their cover of Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba,” we need to talk.
In 1973 David Hidalgo and Louie Perez met in high school in and bonded over their love of Randy Newman and Ry Cooder—in East L.A, of all places. They started recording music, they recruited some friends and the rest, as they say, is history.
The band blends together rock, tex-mex, blues, soul, country—you name it. They call themselves a Mexican-American band, but but they are so much more than that and their music seems to reflect the American melting pot (and that representation, in my humble opinion, is more important than ever in these troubled times).
And yes, the band’s biggest success came from their work on the La Bamba soundtrack, but their catalog spans nearly 40 years and is masterful.
The beautiful mystery of Los Lobos is that they are equally as good singing songs in Spanish as they are covering Buddy Holly. They effortlessly blend genres from Mexican norteño, to heavy blues, to soul to covers.
Los Lobos is playing The State Room Sunday Night for 300 lucky folks. General admission tickets are sold-out, but The State Room’s new VIP ticket structure yields a few available for purchase, or you can try your luck at a Graywhale location.
Alternatively, keep an eye out for them at the Red Iguana on Saturday or Sunday—they, like many other bands, always give a shout out to the restaurant and it’s “Killer Mexican Food” onstage.
