Los Lobos with Gaby Moreno

The journey of Los Lobos began in 1973, when David Hidalgo (vocals, guitar, and pretty much anything with strings), Louie Perez (drums, vocals, guitar), Cesar Rosas (vocals, guitar), and Conrad Lozano (bass, vocals, guitarrón) earned their stripes playing revved-up versions of Mexican folk music in restaurants and at parties. The band evolved in the 1980s as it tapped into L.A.’s burgeoning punk and college rock scenes. They were soon sharing bills with bands like the Circle Jerks, Public Image Ltd. and the Blasters, whose saxophonist, Steve Berlin, would eventually leave the group to join Los Lobos in 1984. That kind of sharp artistic turn has become Los Lobos’s trademark, serving to both fuel the band’s creativity and keep its fans engaged.

The group is joined on this tour by fellow creative spirit, singer and songwriter Gaby Moreno. Born and raised in Guatemala, Gaby Moreno grew up inspired by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, and Aretha Franklin. She immersed herself in blues, R’n’B and soul and learned to speak English by singing. Her original blend of jazz, soul, blues and 1960s rock has earned her a 2013 Latin GRAMMY for Best New Artist, the Grand Prize at the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and an Emmy nomination for co-writing the theme song for NBC’s Parks and Recreation.