In over thirty years of seeing live music, I have never seen a band perform with the combination of virtuosity and versatility that Los Lobos displayed in a phenomenal set in Dallas. The band effortlessly combined elements of folk/American music, Norteno, blues, atmospheric music, traditional Mexican folk music and even flirted with elements of zydeco and waltz time. And everything had a groove.
Billed as an acoustic show, which emits images of men in rocking chairs trading blues licks, the band played blistering nylon guitar solos, Conrad Lorenzo commanded an acoustic bass that was larger than a baby’s crib, while Steve Berlin played saxophone (blasting out ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll licks), flute, and keyboards. Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo alternated guitar leads, while Hidalgo also displayed his remarkable proficiency on accordion, squeezing out sparks in several different genres.
Lacking familiarity with the Spanish-language tracks, I didn’t connect with most of the songs on a lyrical level. However, the musicianship was so impressive that the group easily made a gut level, visceral connection with the audience. Neither the crowd or the band’s enthusiasm flagged for a moment during the 90 minute set.. From carefully constructed ambient music to old fashioned rock dance beats, Los Lobos hit perfectly on every cylinder. I am not easily dazzled.
It was dazzling.
Grade – A.