Lexington Herald-Leader Recommends T&C and Live Show!

Posted on Fri, Oct. 13, 2006

For the love of Los Lobos
The east Los Angeles ensemble makes the road trip to Cincinnati worth it
By Walter Tunis
CONTRIBUTING MUSIC WRITER

Talib Kweli, Los Lobos and OK Go

6 p.m. Oct. 14 at Fountain Square, Fifth and Vine streets in
Cincinnati. Free.

As we edge further into fall, the promise of cooperative weather for
an outdoor concert becomes more and more remote. Just ask the cold
and wet multitudes that waited on the Rolling Stones recently at
Louisville’s Churchill Downs or the more modest turnout that braved
the rains to check out Al Green at last week’s Tall Stacks Festival
in Cincinnati.

This weekend, another intriguing outdoor show beckons us to again
brave the elements. This one takes us straight to downtown Cincinnati
and marks the official reopening of Fountain Square after a
renovation that took more than a year and an estimated $42 million to
complete.

And so, Cincinnati will strike up the music in a big way tomorrow.

Festivities get under way at noon with a true variety of sounds and
styles: a joint performance of the Cincinnati Symphony, Opera and
Ballet along with a poem written and read by Nikki Giovanni — all
which will be emceed by the city’s forefather of funk, Bootsy Collins.

The big fun gets started around 6 p.m. New York hip-hop stylist Talib
Kweli (assisted by Cincinnati’s Hi-Tek) gets things started while
Chicago rockers OK Go (of A Million Ways and Get Over It fame) close
out the evening.

But the sound that will be rocking between those two acts is what
makes the event worth the road trip from Lexington and, of course,
another chance encounter with the elements. It’s the return of Los
Lobos. Though decidedly unflashy onstage, the East Los Angeles
ensemble has been mixing expert songwriting with music that runs from
Tex-Mex traditionalism to immensely resourceful rock and soul for
over 30 years.

Still need convincing that standing on a street corner for a few
hours is a cool way to spend your Saturday night? Then give a listen
to The Town and the City, Los Lobos’ highly topical new album — a
richly reflective song cycle of life, immigration, family and loss.

And we’re not alone in our love of the Lobos. The current issue of
Rolling Stone magazine proclaims “with exception of U2, no other band
has stayed on top of its game as long as Los Lobos.”

Sure, this is a night when Cincinnati reclaims a beloved downtown
landmark. But for those of us in Lexington, it’s a chance to get out
of town and celebrate one of the mightiest bands in the land.

For more information, go to www.myfountainsquare.com.