Concert Report: Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys

I saw Los Lobos play live in 2006, and instantly became a fan. I was already a fan of Los Lonely Boys in 2007 before I saw them play live, and admired their abilities even more after doing so. When I heard that Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys would both come back to Eugene and play the same concert, I said to myself "That is going to be one great concert!"

Well, I just got back from said great concert. Was it great? Yes, but not in the way I expected.

There was no opening band. At 7 PM, Los Lobos came out right on time and began playing. They opened with "Dream In Blue," as usual. They played a few songs that I know (including their most famous), but quite a few I'm not familiar with. To be honest, I thought their 2006 concert was a little better than their set today. They seemed to have some sound issues with one of the guitars off and on. Also, they didn't play as many of their R&B-style songs. They did play a good handful of songs in Spanish, and I do enjoy those. Their set was pretty solid, but not quite as groovin' as before. I'm not complaining, though - I love this band!

Los Lobos ended their set with special guest Henry Garza of Los Lonely Boys (and the other two brothers eventually). They all played "Oye Como Va," which I think was the best song of the night. Another interesting choice earlier in the Los Lobos set was a cover of "Cinnamon Girl" by Neil Young.

A little while after Los Lobos left the stage, Los Lonely Boys came back and played their set. They played a good mix of old hits, new hits, and fan favorites. They didn't have any cool, unexpected moments such as long solos or a long version of "Onda." They just played their songs and played them well. Tonight's version of "Heaven" was especially great.

No, the evening didn't offer any "you HAD to be there" moments, with the exception of Henry Garza guesting with the Wolves of East Los Angeles. Both bands proved that they are very consistent and play live very, very well. If I had to choose, I'd give Los Lonely Boys the MVP award of the night. They really are great live, much more than in the studio. You have to see them perform to really appreciate them.

This is probably the only concert I'll attend this summer. It was a good one, and I'll never forget it. I even bought a CD at the merchandise table (Los Lonely Boys' Live at the Fillmore). I don't really need more CDs, but I wanted a souvenir of the night.

I can't wait to see what next summer brings to our concert scene!