February 1, 2005
Contact: Susan Gwynne
(805) 893-2098
e-mail: gwynne-s@sa.ucsb.edu
Los Lobos, one of the most creative and talented bands in rock and roll, performs An Evening of Acoustic Music at UCSB Campbell Hall
Summary Facts:
- Los Lobos
- A special night of acoustic music
- America’s premier roots rock band
- Well-known for their albums like The Ride, Kiko and the Lavender Moon and the soundtrack to La Bamba
- Sunday, March 6 / 7 pm
- UCSB Campbell Hall
- General public: $45 / UCSB students: $19
- Tickets/information: UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535
Los Lobos, hailed as “one of L.A.’s most creative and inspiring rock outfits” by the Los Angeles Times, will perform A Special Night of Acoustic Music on Sunday, March 6 at 7 pm at UCSB Campbell Hall. More than just another band from East L.A., this adventurous, Grammy-winning fivesome has created a unique brand of rock and roll suffused with traditional Mexican influences. Their classic albums (How Will the Wolf Survive?, Kiko and the Lavender Moon) and high-energy live shows have made them fans’ favorites. The OC Weekly writes, “In any just world, Los Lobos would be on the radio at least hourly, as befits one of the most soulful, inventive, tuneful and generally righteous bands on the planet.”
In 2004 Los Lobos celebrated its 30th year as a band with a series of high profile projects. In May the group released the CD The Ride, a typically eclectic blend of styles and genres that also feature all-star guest spots from many of the bands favorite musicians. Among those appearing on the album are salsero legend Rubén Blades, the legendary Elvis Costello, brilliant guitarist-songwriter Richard Thompson, popular Mexico City rockers Café Tacuba and the inimitable Tom Waits. Entertainment Weekly wrote, “The collective approach yields some of the most potent music of the group’s career.” In August the group released a six-song Ride This as a thank-you to their musical friends from The Ride. The EP offers rollicking runs through songs such as Richard Thompson’s classic “Shoot Out the Lights,” The Blasters’ “Marie Marie,” and Bobby Womack’s “More Than I Can Stand.”
In November the group put out its first DVD, Los Lobos Live at the Fillmore. Recorded in front of packed houses over two nights at the legendary San Francisco concert hall, this DVD captures Los Lobos at their most joyous and rocking.
Los Lobos still are (as they put it): David Hidalgo on guitar, violin, accordion, percussion and vocals; Cesar Rosas on guitar and vocals; Louie Pérez on guitar, drums and vocals; Conrad Lozano on bass and vocals and Steve Berlin on saxophone and keyboards. On tour the core group is supplemented by Santa Barbaran Cougar Estrada on drums and percussion and Victor Bisetti on percussion.
Los Lobos draws equally from rock, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music, creating music that never sounds forced or self-conscious. After releasing an independent EP in the late 1970s and an EP in 1983, Los Lobos delivered its first major-label album How Will the Wolf Survive? in 1984; it received an enormous amount of critical acclaim, as well as a dedicated following of fans. The group seemed unstoppable over the next four years, building from the pop attempt By the Light of the Moon to the hit soundtrack La Bamba to the powerful album of traditional Mexican music La Pistola y el Corazón.
The group took a more atmospheric turn with the adventurous Kiko and the Lavender Moon, which began a fruitful relationship with producer Mitchell Froom. Since that album in 1992 Los Lobos has managed a series of recordings that include everything from raucous guitar workouts to tender ballads sung in Spanish. The band has also released two different career retrospectives, celebrating its 20-year anniversary with Just Another Band from East L.A., a two-CD set that featured most of their biggest singles plus rare tracks, outtakes, and incendiary live tracks. In 2000 Rhino/Warner Archives released Cancionero: Mas y Mas, an even more extensive 4-CD overview with yet more unique cuts.
Los Lobos is presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures and sponsored by the Goleta Valley Voice, KTYD and Borders. Arts & Lectures’ Roots Series, of which this concert is a part, is supported by Fredric Steck and Kelly Le Brock. Tickets are $45 for the general public and $19 for UCSB students who must show valid ID at ticket purchase and the evening of the show.
For tickets or more information,
call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535.
Editor: For photos, please call
Susan Gwynne at (805) 893-2098.