Los Lobos, we got tickets!

[Willabe]

Going to see Los Lobos tonight at a place called the Rau Center in Crystal Lake, Il. very close to us.

Last live band we say was a good 4 years ago, Marc Cohn and it was at the same place.

It's an old movie theater that's been rehabbed. Holds around 2K, we have front row balcony center. Balconies only 10' or so off the main floor at it's front row. Can't be more that ~100' from the stage.

http://youtu.be/CHO5iwzM8pc

http://youtu.be/c4K1tVeEdp4

http://youtu.be/TiDyURMJkV0

http://youtu.be/hg5F06xe3ic

http://youtu.be/QNAnP80TiGg

    
                  Brad      

[Willabe]

Got a little nervous that I might have messed up when I ordered the tickets online so I called the theater.

I did mess up, NO TICKETS!                

But and I can hardly believe this.      

They just released some reserved tickets a few minutes before I called and we were able to get 4, left side isle 15th row. That's closer than the seats I thought I'd bought.

I am sooooo blessed! Sure don't deserve it.



                    Brad        

[Slimtim]

congrats and enjoy,hope you have a great time.

[Willabe]

Thanks Slimtim, we had a GREAT time! They played a full 2 hours!          And no foolin around in between songs. One right after the other. Very hard workin band and delivered with great joy. Very infectious!

Turns out the Rau Center only holds around 700 and we were no more than ~60' from the stage. During the encore some people had gone up to stand in front of the stage on the side so I took my wife up there to see and hear them up close, like 10' away.  

You could feel the bass pound in your chest a little, just enough to feel the life blood of a live band. She loved it.    

I'm gonna say this. THEY ARE WITHOUT A DOUBT AS GOOD A BAND OR BETTER THAN I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!!! And I've seen a LOT of bands through the years. In my book it don't get no better than Los Lobos! They are tight as a unit!

It's been sooooooooo long since I've seen a great band live that I really had forgotten what it's like to hear the music LIVE played and sung by a great band. It all came back to me what hooked me, moved me inside, why I fell in love with music and HAD to learn how to play/sing when I was a teen ager.

Make no mistake they are a band of musician's who play as a unit and not a bunch of wankers dancing around posing making a lot of nothing more than noise.

It's very clear that when you hear/see them play that they are all well studied in American roots and Mexican folk music and it is from this well that they draw their parts from AND IT IS DEEP AND FULL!  Their music is constructed from each player playing/singing a part that meshes with the rest of the band to deliver the song as a whole. The parts are mixed together from blues, jump, swing, jazz, R&B, R&R, rock, soul, a little early funk, C&W, Mexican folk, Tex/Mex, even zydeco. It all fits together without stepping on any other members part, crafted and woven together playing as a unit. Take any one part away and something's missing like layers of flavor in a food recipe. Think New Orleans food.

Very powerful band. Bass player is as solid as it gets, absolutely 1 of the best I've ever seen or heard. He is an anchor! Drummer "bugs" is 37(?) and is killer! Add the percussionist (congas/timbales/etc.) also killer and now you've got a foundation to build on. Throw 2 lead players on top, who are both great rhythm players too add the bari/tenor sax/keyboard. 2 different lead singers, David on Mexican button accordion, Louie on 3rd guitar/8 string Mexican folk instrument. Lots of sound possibilities.    

Gotta say it was a night my wife and I will never forget.


              Brad    


    

http://youtu.be/WWzmD8YGNKc

[Willabe]

After the show;

They said they were going to come out front in the lobby after the show sign Cd's they had for sale and said you could take pictures with them and talk with them for a while.

So I asked my wife if she wanted to stay and talk with them a little, she said she feels nervous talking to "famous" people. Well now we had to stay.      

I said their just regular guys who love to play so we waited while they signed CD's and old albums people brought with them to have signed.

Next thing ya know the percussionist was standing next to us so I started talking to him. He was a nice guy asked I him how old he was he said 34 (?) and had been playing with the band off/on for about 2 years or so. Then Pam started talking with him, so much for "famous" people.    

Then we went and talked with David, I dropped some names of some blues players I had played with years ago and that opened the door, he just wanted to talk about other players, just like the rest of us regular guys. He was very nice and very down to earth. Then we went and talked a little with Louie who was their drummer for years but now plays guitar with them. Brought up the same names and we talked shop a little. I asked him about the 8 string acoustic he plays on stage, if it was a Puerto rican instrument, he said no it was a Mexican folk instrument. Said it was tuned like a guitar but with a couple of doubles. I said I had gone up front and looked at it up close and thought it was beautiful, the burl wood. He smiled and said it wasn't even the deluxe model. I said it was costom made for him? Said yes a luthier friend of his made it for him and gave to him as a gift. And yes Pam's talking to him like someone she just met at church.    

Lastly we talked with Steve their keyboard/sax player, same thing, down to earth guy and my wife feels right at home now, shoot'n the breeze with him like he's an old friend, no hesitation at all.         I said to him I saw you were having a problem with reed on your bari sax. He said yes because he's experimenting with a new mouth piece. I said I told Pam "see how he just looked over at Cesar and tapped the top of his head? He was telling him "go back to the head, my sax is fixed". He smiled and said yes he's right to Pam. Still smiling he said "your very perceptive" I said nah just have played in bands a long time.

I told each of them that we talked to that I thought they were as good or better than any band I've ever seen and that because I lived in Chicago that I had the chance to see many bands including a lot of the old blues players. They all responded the same way, kinda put their head down and looked at the ground and said thank you. They were all very humble. Great guys.


           Brad      

They played this and at least half the place got up and started dancing!         It was quite a bit hotter live. Pure joy of emotion from the music in the room.

Steve their sax man can really play! He was on fire last night!    

http://youtu.be/jhWI39igVMc

[Willabe]

They did this as an encore last night. It was much more powerful. More driven but not any faster.   

"Mas Y Mas" - David Hidalgo & Louie Pérez - Live 2009


        Brad     

[Slimtim]

Well that's got to be about the best review of a concert i've ever read.thx for sharing.Some very nice tele sounds on that last clip.

[Willabe]

Well that's got to be about the best review of a concert i've ever read.thx for sharing.

Yeah I get carried away, but man what a band.      

Some very nice tele sounds on that last clip.

Jim's gonna love it.      


            Brad      

[Willabe]

Found another, got the zydeco thing in there too.

Reminds me of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit wheels time frame. 


http://youtu.be/9OQQSqMjXkM


             Brad     

[cbass]

Saw them in the early 90's very vert good