Concert Previews
Los Lobos / Leo Kottke It's easy to take Los Lobos for granted. They've been reliable for more than 35 years, releasing one excellent album after another (plus a myriad of side projects), working variations on rock-and-roll with deep and wide American and
Los Lobos / Leo Kottke
It's easy to take Los Lobos for granted. They've been reliable for more than 35 years, releasing one excellent album after another (plus a myriad of side projects), working variations on rock-and-roll with deep and wide American and Mexican roots. They can be serious (2006's thematic
The Town and the City
), experimental (1996's wild
Colossal Head
), or playful (last year's celebratory
Los Lobos Goes Disney
, a set of movie tunes done with such emotional depth that parents might enjoy them even more than their kids do). They are a great live band, one of the best, and they tour relentlessly. But they're always worth seeing, with the front line of César Rojas bearing down as straight-ahead rocker, Philly-bred Steve Berlin adding raucous saxophone, and, especially, David Hidalgo crafting a beautiful guitar solo. And they're at the Keswick with Leo Kottke, another guy who knows his way around a guitar solo, and a solo guitar.
- Steve Klinge
Lawrence Arabia
Like Harry Nilsson before him, James Milne is a bearded pop whiz unafraid of bringing whimsy into his gorgeous songs. Recording and performing with a backing band as Lawrence Arabia, Milne has been based in London as well as his native New Zealand. He previously did time in the Brunettes, but Lawrence Arabia finds him at his best. His self-produced second album,
Chant Darling
, came out Stateside this month, all rolling harmonies and orchestral twinges. Milne has been compared to Brian Wilson and Andrew Bird, but he's funnier and arguably more fun. Touring with the London pop troupe Fanfarlo, Milne and band will make their first Philly appearance with this 50-seat close encounter.
- Doug Wallen
Joe Louis Walker
Since his 1986 debut with Hightone Records,
Cold Is the Night,
Joe Louis Walker has been one of the preeminent contemporary bluesmen, a singer and guitarist who honors the tradition of the blues while never failing to bring new life to the music. That goes for the 60-year-old San Francisco native's latest album,
Between a Rock and the Blues
. Working again with producer-guitarist Duke Robillard, Walker once more shows his range: He hits hard, his gritty vocals revealing his gospel underpinning; swings easily on the more R&B-oriented material; and takes an acoustic turn that is every bit as powerful as the electric stuff.
- Nick Cristiano