Los Lobos Gave Us a Happy Time

Despite having played in Stoughton back in March, Los Lobos returned to Madison for two shows at La Fete de Marquette last week. I missed night #1 on Thursday but headed down to McPike Park on Sunday evening for their second performance of the festival. There I met up with my music doc watching pal who was there with a friend of his.

  

(Sorry Steve Berlin.)

The gig's first few songs seemed to lean heavily on The Neighborhood. I recall "Emily", a vaguely wistful but thoroughly beautiful song that I've always thought of as being about young love. They also did the hopeful "The Giving Tree", a communal paean if there ever was one. Later they did a spirited "Georgia Slop" which got many a booty shakin'.

"Shakin' Shakin' Shakes" is always a great party tune while "Kiko and the Lavender Moon" was just gorgeous; sublime & mellow, it was a brief chance to relax in a set mostly consisting of uptempo tunes meant to get you movin'. A little bit of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" led right into "Oye Como Va". Curiously enough, the band played not one but two Grateful Dead covers: "West L.A. Fadeaway" mid-show and "Bertha" for an encore. Personally I could have done with just one. Or another of their originals. "Everybody Loves a Train", for instance.

Cesar Rosas was MC and he sounded like he was in good spirits. At one point he said that they were going to do a song by the late, great Flaco Jiménez which prompted David Hidalgo to strap on an accordion which he played for a couple two tree songs. At one point he also grabbed a güiro and played that while Rosas and Louie Pérez soloed.

The band's lone hit, their cover of Richie Valens' "La Bamba" closed out the show.

Los Lobos are, in my estimation, the premiere Americana band. They do Tejano, rock, rock'n'roll, R&B, blues, Latin jazz, ranchera, et al and they threw in a bit of everything on Sunday evening.

After the show I got a chance to chat with local bass player extraordinaire Kenny Stevenson. I hadn't seen him in ages so we caught up a bit and now I am planning to see him perform with Loving Cup at the Orton Park Festival next month where he'll do his best Bill Wyman imitation.

I took some video of  the jam the closes "Chuco's Cumbia". It was fantastic. Just listen to that baritone sax! (Sorry about the shaky cam.)

Live music is better

Last month I returned to The Bur Oak to see Alash Ensemble, a group of Tuvan throat singers, with a friend of mine. I'd seen them there last March and was so enthralled that I bought tickets immediately when I saw that they were returning.

This time around I was a bit closer to the stage and the ensemble was down to three members. I adore all the songs about horses and mountains and life in a far off land.

The performance was just as enchanting as last year's - even more so, perhaps. More than once I fell into a trance. The steady beat and the ethereal singing just lulled me into a peaceful and blissful state, as if I had been led to the Land of the Lotus Eaters and eaten from their stash. It was simply lovely.

Hopefully they shall return soon.

I also availed myself of the opportunity to see Louis Michot last month at North Street Cabaret.

I saw him way back in 2022 with Lost Bayou Ramblers and was eager to discover what his solo work was like.

He alternated between acoustic guitar and fiddle and threw some sampling wizardry in for rhythmic good measure. He played music from his solo career of which I was completely unaware until I attended this performance, as well as some Lost Bayou Rambler tunes. He was two albums, Rêve Du Troubadour and Seauxleaux, under his own name and has collaborated with many other musicians including Leyla McCalla whom I knew from her stint with Carolina Chocolate Drops and Our Native Daughters.

In between songs there was plenty of banter about his life, the songs he played, and about Louisiana and Cajun culture. He told stories about his father Tommy Michot and his band Les Frères Michot where Louis and his brother Andre cut their chops; he talked a bit about the ecology of southern Louisiana; he talked about the New Orleans born composer and musician Louis Moreau Gottschalk before playing one of his songs. Just all kinds of stories.

At one point he asked if anyone had ever been to Natchitoches, a small city in northern Louisiana. I was one of three people to raise their hands. I knew about the Cane River and meat pies as my father had moved there and I got to know the place a little bit after his death when I was down there for three weeks to settle his estate.

He expressed condolences for the loss of Bob Queen who brought many a band here to Madison for the summer festivals and beyond. It sounded like Michot was more familiar with Madison than just a single swing through with Lost Bayou Ramblers.

Switching back to The Bur Oak, I finally saw Los Straitjackets. They're one of those bands that I should have seen 25+ years ago. I have been meaning to see them for ages and I am very glad that I finally did.

They play a lot of surf rock along with more rock/rockabilly tunes a la The Ventures and The Shadows. Also present that night was Deke Dickerson who collaborated with the band on 2014's Sings The Great Instrumental Hits!!!!!! where they took instrumental classics by The Ventures, Dick Dale, et al and put words to the music. In fact, they played a couple songs from that album.

Hearing Link Wray tunes live and loud was a real treat. A fantastic night.

Lastly, I saw Los Lobos down in Stoughton. It had been almost 30 years since I'd seen them at the Barrymore. Last time they came around I waited too long to buy tickets and they had sold out by the time I logged in to hand over my money.

While I didn't get to hear "Everybody Loves a Train", it was still a magical night. "Two Janes" was beautiful, affecting, moving - just great! I closed my eyes as I sang along. They jammed on "Angel Dance" and I loved every note. My mancrush on David Hildalgo continues.

Cesar Rosas asked the crowd at one point how to pronounce "Stoughton" and, upon being told, he said that someone in Chicago was mispronouncing it.

A great show.

Next up is...

I need to buy those bookshelves I've been meaning to buy for months

Before the Los Lobos show last night in Stoughton I stopped in at Ink Cap Books. It's a lovely little bookstore with lots of cards and stickers and whatnot too. Despite being a small shop, they had a couple titles I've been seeking.

I just found out about Absolution within the past couple weeks. Hopefully it is as creepy as the preceding books and bursting with unheimlich goodness. I've had Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell on my to-read list for a long while. I've heard good things about Piranesi and perhaps reading it will motivate me to finally read Clarke's epic debut.

Song of the day, 14 March 2026

This was sublime last night.

Song of the day, 13 March 2026

If you are at the Stoughton Opera House tonight, you may hear me yelling for this one.

Song of the day, 14 December 2025

The Wolf Has Survived

For reasons unknown, a few days ago I just got the urge to listen to Los Lobos, specifically "Reva's House". Kiko is a great album, Los Lobos are underappreciated geniuses of American music, and I am pissed that I keep forgetting to buy tickets early to their shows at the Stoughton Opera House and so keep missing them.

They'll be at the Big Top Chautauqua up in Bayfield on 23 August.

"Two Janes" is such a beautiful song. 

You can hear me scream on this.

Los Lobos - Still Home For the Holidays

Los Lobos will be streaming a holiday show this week on the 11th. They released their first Christmas album, Llego Navidad, last year so I'd expect several tunes from that album.