While SXSW at its best is all about discovery, there’s also something to be said for seeing big name acts in relatively smaller venues. And though that’s become rarer in recent years (sure, Alanis played this year, but gone are the days of surprise Kanye sets or the likes of Metallica and Foo Fighters playing Stubb’s … though those Daft Punk at the Capitol building rumours still pop up from time to time), there are still some opportunities to catch established acts in a more intimate setting. On Monday afternoon, I took such an opportunity, catching legendary L.A. band Los Lobos in concert on the Radio Day Stage, located this year in the backyard of the Downright.
In town to promote the world premiere of the documentary Los Lobos Native Sons, the band played a short mini-set of about four songs, whish was preceded by a short interview with the film’s co-directors Doug Blush and Piero F. Giunti. Opening up with “Will The Wolf Survive,” the band admitted that they were kind of winging it and working without a setlist. By the second song, someone was already calling out a request for “La Bamba,” and while that was a bit premature, they wouldn’t have to wait too long for that one.
As they finished up their brief set on with a killer medley of “La Bamba” and The Rascals’ “Good Lovin’,” the crowd was calling out for more. The band’s nonchalant response was to shrug and say,”Sure, we’ll do one more,” before adding, “We don’t know what we’re doing.”
They finally decided on another cover, ending things off with their rendition of “She’s About A Mover,” paying tribute to ’60s Texas rockers The Sir Douglas Quintet. The band also gave a shout-out to Austin in general, specifically old Austin, though guitarist Cesar Rosas mentioned that he gets lost every time he comes back these days.
While this was a pretty loose performance, that might also be exactly what made it such a good show. It’s great to see a group of seasoned pros like Los Lobos just winging it. They’ve got nothing to prove because, after more than 50 years as a band, it’s a given that they know their way around a stage. They may not have had a plan going into this show, but Los Lobos clearly know what they’re doing.
