Review: Los Lobos at Universal Preservation Hall on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026
Right before Los Lobos came onstage Sunday at the jam-packed Universal Preservation Hall, Sting sang in “Englishman in New York” – last song of the recorded walk-in music – “Oh, I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien.”
What a perfect choice, in this time of horrifying federal racism, for Mexican Americans from East LA to play the most magnificently American music.
Los Lobos, from left: Cesar Rosas, Conrad Lozano, Louie Perez, Alfredo Ortiz, David Hidalgo, Steve Berlin
In their own opener “One Time, One Night,” they claimed this “home of the brave in this land here of the free” for themselves. They proved their place in it with authentic original songs of hope and home, of trouble and triumph, of dance and daring assimilation in their own immigrant tradition. Some were folkloric, all were fervent, most steeped in rock and roll. But they also borrowed soul classics, anthemic southern rock, even the sci-fi blues of “Are You Experienced?”
All in black, business like, beards and hair all white and all wearing glasses, they took their time. Their set-list was less map than menu; possibilities more than a plan. They sometimes discussed what’s next, or what key; but they got there.
Thanks to the monitor mixer for sharing this set list
David Hidalgo, the band’s prettiest voice, sang “One Time, One Night” and played its guitar solo. It’s their usual way: the singer keeps the spotlight, as guitarist-singer Cesar Rosas did next in “Maricela,” singing lead and soloing, too. Under this dance number in Spanish, Steve Berlin growled baritone sax riffs and keyboard accents at the same time, deep in the seams, as Louie Perez strummed jarana (baby acoustic eight-string) and bassist Conrad Lozano grinned back at drummer Alfredo Ortiz, locked way in. For all the attention the front line earns – mostly wielding three electric guitars, keys and/or sax – the Los Lobos rhythm section hits as hard as any in rock and restrained force even at their quietest. Ortiz is their best-ever drummer and Lozano a model of taste and touch.
David Hidalgo, above; Cesar Rosas, below
Louie Perez, above; Steve Berlin, below
Alfredo Ortiz, above; Conrad Lozano, below
Hidalgo and Rosas alternated vocal and guitar leads through the rockers “Emily” (Hidalgo), “Love Special Delivery” (Rosas), a hot shuffle inherited from the 60s East LA band Thee Midnighters with a searing Rosas wah-wah break and high octane Berlin sax riffs.
After the majestic funk of “The Valley,” Rosas announced “It’s good to be back here” before pausing. “Have we been here before?” Laughs lit up the stage; together since the 70s and touring since the late 80s, they couldn’t remember. (UPH opened six years ago; Sunday was their debut.)
That moment of mirth ignited “Chucho’s Cumbia,” a happy, loose, explosive barrio blast Rosas sang in Spanish and soloed, Perez strumming jarana as fast as Berlin’s baritone sax licks. “A Matter of Time” felt dance-y, too, but rocked around Hidalgo’s voice and guitar solo before he cued Berlin to take the lead.
Then they started to wander.
Perez delivered his first lead vocal, and guitar break, on an upbeat rocker – Johnny Thunder’s “Alone in a Crowd”? – before Rosas went all wah-wah to intro the Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” with his own strong vocal, then a faster rocker with an equally cool Hidalgo guitar, back to “Papa” in full surge and into “One Way Out,” as hot as the Allman Brothers ever did it. This driving southern-rock shuffle that brought the crowd to its feet for the first time.
Hidalgo introduced Jimi Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced?” as a request and sang and soloed slow and majestic; the band gaining momentum as Rosas did the wah-wah wail.
Their own slow, spooky “Kiko and the Lavender Moon” held that mood, Hidalgo harmonizing tight with Rosas.
Noting they’d just won a share in the Regional roots music album Grammy awarded to “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco,” Hidalgo played peppy accordion and sang their contribution: Clifton Chenier’s energetic “Hot Rod.” Then they waltzed through “Volver,” Rosas fervent and strong at the mic and guitar as Hidalgo stayed with the squeeze box.
Bang-bang rockers “Rosalee” (Rosas vocal, Berlin switching to tenor to solo) and “Don’t Worry Baby” (Rosas at the mic again; Berlin, tenor again) seemed to wrap things before Rosas pumped “Want one more? Maybe a couple more?”
They sandwiched “La Bamba” – everybody sprang, or eased, up – around (the Olympics, then the Young Rascals, then a Grateful Dead live favorite) “Good Lovin’,” getting a good Spanish singalong in arguably their only-ever hit.
They left to a happy roar that held as they came back for more covers: Marvin Gaye’s anguished/sweet soul anthem “What’s Goin’ On” and the Grateful Dead’s straight-ahead “East L.A. Fadeaway.”
As usual, they built energy in a patient, deliberate way and surprised even themselves at times, pausing to discuss what to play next or agree on the key. They didn’t play the Dead’s “Bertha,” from the set list, but reached deeper for the obscure “Fadeaway.” And they didn’t play their own classic “Will the Wolf Survive?” – a hit for Waylon Jennings, though not for them.
They didn’t have to: 50 years on, these wolves survive.
Hoke's Jukebox 