In 1984, Los Lobos asked, “Will The Wolf Survive?” They kicked off their recent show at The Birchmere with that very song, and the answer was a resounding yes: Four decades later, Los Lobos (Spanish for “the wolves”) have not just survived, but thrived. They like to call themselves “just another band from East LA,” but they’ve become an institution in rock music, a beautiful example of the mixing of cultures that makes America a unique and wonderful country.

While they broke through nationally in the mid-’80s with How Will The Wolf Survive, they’d already been together for over a decade. At The Birchmere on July 10, the show was part of their 50th anniversary tour, a remarkable achievement. Not only that, but the same quintet has composed their lineup for 40 years: David Hidalgo (guitars, accordion, and vocals), Cesar Rosas (guitars and vocals), Louie Perez (guitars), Conrad Lozano (bass), and Steve Berlin (sax and keys). 

“Will the Wolf Survive?” highlights one aspect of what Los Lobos do: They’ve always had an eye on the lives of people struggling to make it, the working class and immigrants. These themes, as well as their roots-oriented sound, have identified the band as having one foot in heartland rock, sharing common territory with folks like Springsteen, Mellencamp, and Steve Earle, albeit with their songs dealing with the lives of Mexican Americans and East Los Angeles, as opposed to Jersey, the Midwest, or Texas.

Those social and political themes may appear in many of the band’s lyrics, but it’s only a fraction of what they do. As Cesar told the audience, “Life is a big party.” Before breaking out, Los Lobos were a local act, a band who played  at weddings and other festive occasions. Later in the evening, Cesar joked about this, saying “We got a deal on quinceañeras right now. You just need to get us a keg of beer, and we’ll be good.”

This party atmosphere comes through in numbers like “Chuco’s Cumbia,” which Cesar said is “for all you dancers.” The Birchmere isn’t set up to accommodate dancing, but they still managed to get a number of people up and moving.

Watch Los Lobos perform “Chuco’s Cumbia” at Austin City Limits in 2006 via YouTube:

These guys are experts at drawing in and involving the crowd, whether it’s clapping along to the boozy R&B groove of “I Got Loaded” (a cover of Little Bob & The Lollipops), or singing along to “La Bamba,” played as a medley with “Little Love” to send the audience home. (In 1987, Los Lobos enjoyed a brief flirtation with pop stardom when they scored a No. 1 hit with “La Bamba,” which they recorded for the soundtrack to the film about the life of Richie Valens. “La Bamba” is actually a traditional Mexican folk song that was rocked-up by Valens, but they did play one of his originals, “Come On, Let’s Go,” during their set.)

There’s a deep connection between the band and their fans. One guy in the audience, Hidalgo mentioned, had been to about 75 shows, and they were going to honor a special request from him. “The Long Way to Gila Bend,” he said, is a song they haven’t played in a while, and he wasn’t sure how well they’d get through it. But these are consummate pros, and the song didn’t just sound great, but flawless.

Los Lobos’ most recent album, Native Sons, released in 2021, is a collection of tunes from their hometown that won them a Grammy for Best Americana album. They played a number of songs from that LP in their set, showing just how diverse their influences are: “Love Special Delivery,” by early Latin rockers Thee Midnighters, “Flat Top Joint,” from the blues band The Blasters, and the Beach Boys’ “Sail On Sailor.” While incorporate everything from rockabilly to blues to vintage pop to R&B and Latin folk, Los Lobos always sound unique and are instantly identifiable. Another song, not one from that album, “Ay te dejo en San Antonio,” came to them from the great accordion player Flaco Jimenez. They also covered Volante Fernandez’s “Volver, volver.”

Another highlight of the show was “Kiko and the Lavender Moon,” the track that lends its title to their 1992 masterpiece, Kiko. A uniquely adventurous album made with producer Mitchell Froom, Kiko took all their diverse influences and put them in a blender, then experimented with musical form in ways that were at least uncommon, if not unexplored, in roots music. In some ways, the album can be seen as a precursor to what Wilco did on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. But it’s also completely its own thing, a dreamy, gorgeous album and listening to it is a unique musical experience.

Watch the official music video for “Kiko and the Lavender Moon” by Los Lobos on YouTube:

After “Love Special Delivery,” the set continued with “The Valley,” and it also included “Wicked Rain,” “My Baby’s Gone,” “Shakin’ Shakin’ Shakes,” and “Don’t Worry Baby,” ending with the Grateful Dead’s “Bertha.” The Dead’s influence on Los Lobos is clear from the art on their backdrop during the show, and Jerry Garcia’s guitar playing clearly shaped David Hidalgo’s. When they came back for their encore, they played Jimmy McCracklin’s “Georgia Slop,” then finished the night with a raucous medley of “La Bamba” and “Little Love.”

Things kicked with off a 30-minute opening set by the duo of Chad Hollister & Primo, who had driven down from Vermont for the show. I wasn’t familiar with their work, but I liked their songs, which included “Be Kind” and “Here and Now,” which Chad cowrote with Adam Ezra. “Eyes,” he explained, was about how he taught his children — a daughter, 19, and a son, 16 — to, when they meet someone, greet them with a handshake and look them in the eyes. “Rowdy Odelia,” Chad said, was written for his daughter.

During the main set, the energy was palpable, with many rounds of applause and the audience rising to their feet several times. As I noted, this is the only time I’ve seen people dance at The Birchmere. During the closing medley, a woman from the audience quite suddenly was on stage, dancing to the music and have a grand old time. Los Lobos welcomed the enthusiasm, cherishing the connection they’ve built with their fans over all these years. 

At its best, live music is an uplifting experience that can provide you with some succor from the troubles of daily life. Los Lobos embrace this, and their concerts have always done this for me. While their catalog is diverse in theme and style, it’s also united by an embrace of the idea that music is about community and providing this emotional uplift. Whether they’re playing a song about hardworking folks struggling to get by or a party anthem, this common thread ties their work together. If you haven’t seen Los Lobos play live, you owe it to yourself as a music fan to experience the joy and passion they bring to every stage.

Here are some photos of Los Lobos performing at The Birchmere on July 10, 2024. (But first, a few photos of openers Chad Hollister & Primo). All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.