Hi Everybody,
What a blast seeing Los Lobos in concert last night at the Power Center in Ann Arbor – it was the band’s first headlining show in Southeast Michigan in almost four years! Got a chance to hang out with Los Lobos’ saxophonist and keyboardist Steve Berlin after the show, and besides being busy with his own group’s current tour, he’s also been producing projects for other artists. He played some cool-sounding songs off a new album he’s doing for Alec Ounsworth, the guitarist and vocalist from the indie rock group Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. That one will be out later this year on the Anti- label. He’s also been working with Backyard Tire Fire, who hail from Indiana. Didn’t hear anything from that project, but Steve spoke highly of them and said that they are label shopping right now and hope to release it soon.
And as for Los Lobos, Steve told me that their album of classic Disney covers will finally be out in early September, and that will fulfill their cocntract with Hollywood Records. They just signed a new deal with Shout! Factory Records, with a new studio album down the line, probably in 2010. And maybe, just maybe, Los Lobos might be the opening act for Bob Dylan at some of his shows thus fall. Fingers crossed.
Best moment of last night’s show was definitely the medley of Buddy Holly’s Not Fade Away and the Grateful Dead’s Bertha.
Look for my interview with Sonic Youth in the Detroit Free Press this Thursday, June 25 — and hope to see you at the Dean & Britta performance at Power Center on Thursday, July 2 – their first appearance in Michigan since their days in Luna.
Best,
Martin