I, your Austin Music Minute maven, used to think I was so cool because I was into Los Lobos albums like Kiko and The Neighborhood, and especially Colossal Head. Never mind that I didn’t give any credit to my dear friend, USA Today copy editor Jonathan Briggs, for getting me hooked on Los Lobos in the first place, back in the day. I wanted all the glory because these cats were beyond cool. And coincidentally, Latino. Chicano. Whatever your preference, orale. But what I didn’t realize was that their incredible musical history dated back long before the ’90s. This badass East LA band had been playing and recording since the early ’70s. Dang. More cool than I originally thought.
When it comes to bands with staying power, Los Lobos is high at the top of my list for good reason. They’ve remained consistent in their approach, but have always fearlessly taken on any genre one could possibly imagine. Only musicians of such high caliber could explore and own it all the way they do, and they’ve relished every moment. Con ganas. Yet this is also a band that never dismisses its cultural background. They’ve artfully reshaped different Latin music styles with contemporary ones like rock, country, blues and R&B to create some stunning signature blends that remain as fresh today as ever before.
Still one of my all-time favorite bands. And we in Austin are lucky to have them return for a special acoustic performance, as the first installment of a new Latin music series created by ACL Live and the Pachanga Latino Music Festival. Los Lobos play tonight at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd. Special guests Los Texmaniacs open the show. Doors at 6:30 p.m. This is one not to miss out on. Highly recommended.
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