Onstage, Los Lobos go to Town
From Boston Herald
By Christopher Blagg
Monday, November 20, 2006
Early retirement is usually a good idea for most aging rockers. Yet despite graying bands such as the increasingly creaky and out-of-touch Rolling Stones, Los Lobos has somehow managed to continue putting out fantastic and jaw-droppingly vibrant music. Their show Saturday night at Avalon proved that though the East L.A. quintet may have formed during the last days of the Nixon presidency, their brilliance and relevancy have remained unquestioned.
Touring in support of their new record, “The Town and the City,” Los Lobos gave the crowded faithful a little taste of everything from their vast catalog. Electrically charged cumbias such as “Luz de Mi Vida” and “Maricela” stood in contrast to the band’s earthy roots-rock tendencies and heavy flirtations with New Orleans r & b, exemplified by the early-set highlight of “Evangeline.”
Feeling no pressure to concentrate on their new material, Los Lobos’ riff-chugging Mexican immigration anthem, “The Road To Gila Bend,” was just the first of only a few tunes off the new record, and was given a resoundingly positive reaction.
On this night, the 33-year-old quintet favored their earlier material. Accordion-fried r & b burners such as “Let’s Say Goodnight” and the blessedly dirty “Georgia Slop” attested to the band’s nostalgia-leaning setlist, yet the band didn’t just phone in its new compositions. Tempos were reined in for the meditative “Hold On,” singer/guitarist David Hidalgo crooning wearily to the crowd, “I’m killing myself just to keep alive, killing myself to survive.”
Unlike other, more high-profile veteran rock bands, Los Lobos didnÂ’t rely on a high-octane stage show or elaborate set designs to keep the audience interested. In fact, most of the musicians barely moved the entire show, flexing just their larynx and their guitar-picking fingers throughout the night. Because the music moves so effectively, the band doesnÂ’t have to.Los Lobos prefer to let their tunes and performance speak for themselves. It would seem after more than 30 years of churning out arguably the finest rock Â’nÂ’ roll in the world, theyÂ’re deserving of at least that much.