Los Lobos howl in Sooner Theatre

By Doug Hill

pop writer

In our listening collection, Los Lobos is one of the few bands with albums on vinyl, cassette and CD. Writing this I'm listening to their newest release, "Los Lobos Goes Disney" on Media Player.

These wolves have grown gray but probably will never grow good, in the sense of being tame beasts. Musically, they're still bad to the bone and nowhere near being an endangered species. Even cutting an album of covers from beloved white bread movies, Los Lobos has found ways to make them dangerously hip. Singing Snow White's "Heigh Ho" in guttural Spanish with a frenetic accordion score will undoubtedly be viewed askance in some circles.

A question came to mind before the Los Lobos concert Oct. 28 at the Sooner Theatre. Will this be an AARP-only audience? In the lobby before the show, B.J. Zorn, 23, of Norman proved otherwise.

"I've been listening to them since childhood because my dad's a fan," she said. "He always played their albums in the truck and got me hooked."

Zorn named records "By the Light of the Moon" (1987) and ground-breaking "Kiko" (1992) as her favorites.

"My dad would quiz me about various aspects of their songs," she said. "I've never seen them live, so it's really exciting tonight."

The Duhks

This young Winnipeg, Manitoba quintet was not listed on the bill, but it was a real treat to hear them for the first time.

The Duhks attractive ability to jump between genres was a thrill. Their set sped through Zydeco, Afro-Cuban and Nashville flavors. Intensity and virtuosity won them a standing ovation at close. They combined subtle musicality on soulful tunes with straight ahead rock on others.

Sarah Dugas threatened the fire code with her incendiary lead vocals. She has a deep, rich voice that's entrancing. Tania Elizabeth's wild violin passages were eye and ear openers.

It was appropriate that these French-Canadian kids paid homage to Cajun music. And even though Quebec and New Orleans are separated by 1,800 miles, the two, originally occupied by French colonists, share a culture influenced by their Franco-American heritage.

They performed "Toujours Vouloir" from their sweet disc "Fast Paced World" (2008, Sugar Hill Records). "Gonna Have a Funky Good Time" was bravely copied and pasted with "Whole Lotta Love."

Los Lobos

Dancers were in front of the stage by the second number.

And two songs later, when the five musicians smacked out "Evangeline," about being 17 years old on a Saturday night, all the dance space was filled, and the swinging couples were transported.

With no word of explanation David Hidalgo (lead vocals) dedicated "Angel Dance" to the Flaming Lips.

"Tomorrow will bring us a brand new day/ We can run and play," he sang.

Stage lighting softened for some South Central soul. Early in the set, Los Lobos' music tended toward hard rock bordering on psychedelic.

"Steve's from Philadelphia, he's checking the score," said Cesar Rosas (guitars) between songs as saxophonist Steve Berlin searched for an update on the first World Series game between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies.

"It's 4-0 Philly; he'll be taking his clothes off in a minute," Rosas said.

Although Los Lobos' stage presence wasn't exactly electric, that had no impact on their phenomenal sound.

Eccentrically, they covered Allman Brothers' "One Way Out" mid-set, turning it into an audience sing along.

Happily they played "Kiko and the Lavender Moon" next. It's a magical mystery tour seen possibly through the eyes of a feline or nocturnal sprite. The cadenced fantasy is styled along Gabriel Garcia M?rquez' surreal storytelling and represents the very best of Los Lobos.

Hidalgo's accordion was like a black cat stretching and arching toward la Luna, the moon. They performed "La Pistola y El Corazon" from the record of that title (1988) with its all Spanish lyrics.

An unruly "My Generation" carried Los Lobos off stage. They returned for an extended encore that included Latino rap/punk fusion climaxing in a crashing cacophony of sound.