Forty years ago, Louie Perez and David Hidalgo, friends at East LA’s Garfield High School, hooked up with two other musicians, bassist Conrad Lozano and singer/guitar player Cesar Rosas, and Los Lobos came to be. Sax player Steve Berlin came over from legendary rockabilly band The Blasters a few years later, and the band has never stopped making incredibly original, timeless, irresistible music and has never stopped touring. Hard-hitting young drummer Enrique “Bugs” Gonzalez joined the band a few years back and gave them a new jolt of energy. Their recording debut all those years ago may have been called “Just Another Band from East LA,” but they still prove night in and night out that they’re not just another band—from anywhere.
Louie Perez has been the band’s chief lyricist over the years and was the drummer for a long spell before returning to guitar duties (though he still gets behind the kit for a few songs each night). He’s found time over the years to work on several side projects, including The Latin Playboys, and has carved out another career as a painter. He’s also written a play recently based on the band’s song “Evangeline,” that had several runs in California.
For more about Los Lobos: http://www.loslobos.org/site/
