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[MUSIC REVIEW] Los Lobos at the Mahaiwe
7.13.08
Louie Perez, David Hidalgo, and Steve Berlin of Los Lobos [photo by Seth Rogovoy]
by Seth Rogovoy
(July 13, 2008) -- The concert by Mexican-American roots band Los Lobos at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Saturday night proved several things.
For one, it proved that given the right sound technicians, sensitive to the room, the Mahaiwe can host a terrific-sounding, full-bore rock concert. The sound for this show was so pristine that even during a song in which David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas were both playing electric guitar, you could still hear Louie Perez's acoustic guitar -- not just hear the instrument, but actually hear the texture of his fingers on the guitar. The music was loud enough to have maximum impact, but never too loud to cover up the band's vocals and harmonies or any single instrument.
The concert also proved that Los Lobos continues to be one of America's great rock bands. While most often noted for their Mexican-flavored music, the band draws from a deep well of influences, especially blues, early rock 'n' roll, jazz, and even experimental music.
And music is what a Los Lobos concert is all about. There's no spectacle, and even very little attempt to engage the audience through personality, save for Cesar Rosas, who serves as what passes for the group's emcee and clown, even though it's really David Hidalgo's band. Hidalgo said a few words, but he's obviously much more comfortable singing and playing music.
The band played a generous set of music touching on all bases of its career, from its early folkloric period to plenty of rock 'n' roll and a good dose of more recent sonic experiments, including "Kiko and the Lavender Moon."
With upcoming concerts by Steve Earle, America, and Richard Thompson, the Mahaiwe deserves kudos for filling the void in big-name popular music that's afflicted the region since the heyday of the Berkshire Performing Arts Center in the early 1990s.
Seth Rogovoy is the editor-in-chief and award-winning music critic for Berkshire Living.
Guitarist Cesar Rosas in the foreground, with bassist Conrad Lozano [photo by Seth Rogovoy]
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