June 17-24, 2004

musicpicks

Los Lobos

rock

Mixing their many aural influences — rock, soul, Tex-Mex, country and blues — into a gritty yet graceful blend, Los Lobos has come a long way since its early days as a Hendrix-lovin' East L.A. garage band. What hasn't changed is its determination to do what feels right, record sales be damned. People were stunned when the band followed up its chart-topping 1987 remake of "La Bamba" with La Pisola y El Corazín, an album of acoustic Mexican folk songs. But they really didn't care, and the record ended up earning a Grammy, even if it barely dented the charts. For their latest (and first self-produced) CD, the swaggering and wondrously eclectic The Ride (Hollywood/Mamm), Los Lobos worked with a wildly diverse guest list: Bobby Womack, Mexican alt-rockers Café Tacuba, Richard Thompson, Elvis Costello and gospel great Mavis Staples among them. Onstage, the five like to get a crowd on its feet early, and keep 'em there all night, with jam-band-like renditions of their own songs and covers of everyone from Peter Tosh to Buddy Holly.

Tue., June 22, 7:30 p.m., $31, with Frankie Perez, Keswick Theatre, Easton Rd. and Keswick Ave., Glenside, 215-572-7650.

—Nicole Pensiero