Los Lobos brought their dance-inducing rhythms to the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara for two nights on January 20-21st. The first night featured an all-electric set, followed by an acoustic set the second night. The shows were part of the 2023 celebration of their 150th anniversary. The Lobero Theatre is a historic performing arts theater in downtown Santa Barbara, California. It was built in 1873 and is the oldest continuously operating theater in California. The theater has been host to various performances, including live music from nearly every musical genre, theater productions, and dance performances. It has also been used as a movie theater and as a venue for community events. The Lobero Theatre is considered a Santa Barbara landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
David Crosby was scheduled to lead an all-star lineup next month at the Lobero as part of their 150 anniversaries before his recent sudden passing. Rock Cellar Magazine and FestForums had planned the “Get Together” Concert on Thursday, February 2, 2023, which they describe as “an intimate tribute honoring festival leaders we lost in 2021 – featuring the music of Jesse Colin Young with Jazzie Young, Chris Stills, Teddy Jack, The Tribe, and more special guests, with a special presentation by Henry Diltz. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Get Together Foundation.” The theater recently announced that the night would also pay tribute to Crosby, a long-time patron of the Lobero Foundation.
But the January 20-21st shows with Los Lobos were all about celebrating live music. Many in the usually stoic crowd at the venue were compelled to dance through much of the infectious performance. Los Lobos is a Grammy award-winning American rock band from East Los Angeles, California. The band was formed in 1973 and has released multiple albums throughout its career. They are known for their blend of rock, Tex-Mex, country, and traditional Mexican music. But the band has a wide range, including blues rock, rockabilly, and the masterful musicians even delve into the jam band genre occasionally. The latter was particularly on display both nights, with the band choosing two distinctive Grateful Dead covers to showcase their prowess in the genre. The first night the band included “Bertha” in their set, and the second night “West L.A. Fadeaway," both from the Grateful Dead catalog. Like the Grateful Dead, Los Lobos tends to perform an almost entirely different set each night they play.
The two crossovers for the Lobero show included a classic traditional Mexican sing-along cover of the legendary Vincent Fernandez tune, “Volver Volver," and a finale of their most famous cover of “La Bamba.” The band is well known for their intricate versions of cover material across many pop music genres, but they have also created volumes of their own insightful material. The band features five original members, including David Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas, Louie Pérez, Conrad Lozano, and Steve Berlin, all incredibly talented musicians and singers. The band tore through an 18-song setlist Friday, including six covers. During the Saturday acoustic set, the group played another 18 songs, including seven covers. The band has toured relentlessly through the decades, improving their skills, and has become one of southern California's best live musical acts. Bien Hecho!
The Lobero has already organized one of the most exciting seasons of live music and performances, and new dates are being regularly added. For the latest information, visit https://www.lobero.org
Check out more photos from the show.
