Kimmel Center Presents Los Lobos on October 2
September 8, 2005
Los Lobos
Los Lobos, the band that is impossible to categorize, with its Tex-Mex, Mexican folk, R&B, and rock and roll sound, will perform at the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall on Sunday, October 2 at 7:30pm. Alejandro Escovedo, champion of his self-created folk-blues genre and “Artist of the Decade” according to No Depression magazine, will open for Los Lobos.
The concert is the third in the Sovereign Bank World/Pop Mix series. The next concert in the series features Portuguese Fado sensation Mariza with Lila Downs on October 9, 2005 at 7:30pm.
Tickets for Los Lobos and opener Alejandro Escovedo on October 2 are $31, $39, $46, $53 and $56 and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply).
Los Lobos was born in the 70s, with their 1987 cover-hit “La Bamba” marking the beginning of their world-wide success. Band members Louie Perez, David Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas, Steve Berlin, and Conrad Lozano almost accidentally fell into the formation of the band three decades ago in East Los Angeles, and, since then, have become one of the most innovative and original rock and roll bands. Although “La Bamba” helped the band achieve world-wide recognition, the cover does the band little justice when compared to the sounds of Los Lobos’ other albums. The 1983 album How Will the Wolf Survive helped the group build a strong fan-based following, as well as critical acclaim. With the release of each following album, including The Neighborhood, and Kiko, Los Lobos continued to experiment with their sound, fusing folk, country, Tex-Mex, blues and traditional Spanish and Mexican music into their gritty rock and roll, pop base. 2004’s The Ride marks the band’s 30 year anniversary, and features the artistry of Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, and Elvis Costello. Once again, Los Lobos surges ahead, zigzagging across genres, all the while remaining connected to their trademark graceful, soulful, honest sound. It is this honesty in their love for their art that distinguishes Los Lobos from the rest. As Louie Perez told NPR, “How cool of a job is this? You get to run around the world with your friends, playing music and laughing like idiots."
Alejandro Escovedo opens the night with his own type of rock and roll. After a near fatal fight with Hepatitis C and the release of the tribute album, Por Vida, Escovedo is once again touring. Although Por Vida is a compilation of interpretations of Escovedo’s songs by artists such as Lucinda Williams, Jayhawks, and Los Lonely Boys, the result is a testament to the diverse flexibility of Alejandro’s work, and a demonstration of the touching humanity within each of his songs. Like Los Lobos, Escovedo combines rock and roll with the traditional Latin sounds of his youth, and yet his sound is as unique as Los Lobos’. David Fricke of Rolling Stone explains: “Musically, Escovedo is his own genre, a folk-blues classicist with a gritty plaintive voice and an equal fondness for dirty boogie and spectral balladry.” Escovedo evades categorization, with ten album releases and numerous performances with back-up bands of varying styles, sizes, and sounds. Ultimately, Escovedo is a musician, poet, and story-teller, able to relate his personal experiences to the larger concerns of humanity through the sound of gritty rock and roll, delicate strings, or timeless folk.
Tickets for Los Lobos and opener Alejandro Escovedo on October 2 at Verizon Hall range from $31 to $56. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply). For group sales call 215-790-5883.
A limited number of $10 tickets are available for every Kimmel Center Presents performance at the Kimmel Center. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning 2.5 hours prior to evening performances and 11:30am for matinees.
Sponsors of the 2005/2006 Kimmel Center Presents season include Mellon Financial Corporation, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Sovereign Bank, The American Express Company, and Verizon Foundation. Special Student Matinees at the Kimmel Center are generously supported by Merck & Co., Inc. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents. Toyota is the Official Vehicle of Kimmel Center Presents Jazz and World Pop programming. In-kind support is generously provided by Deloitte and Southern Wine and Spirit.
KIMMEL CENTER PRESENTS
Sovereign Bank World/ Pop Mix
October 2, 2005, 7:30pm
Verizon Hall
Los Lobos
Cesar Rosas, vocals, bajo sexto guitar, mandolin
Conrad Lozano, vocals, bass, guitarron
David Hidalgo, vocals, guitar, accordion, lap steel, violin
Louie Perez, drums, guitar, quinto
Steve Berlin, vocals, saxophone, keyboards
Cougar Estrada, percussion
Alejandro Escovedo
Alejandro Escovedo, vocals and acoustic guitar
Brian Standefer, cello
Susan Voelz, violin & background vocals
David Pulkingham, acoustic nylon and steel string guitars & background vocals
Marr Fish, cello
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