Los Lobos in Concert!

Here are a few observations from last night's Los Lobos concert in Salt Lake.

1. I really liked the way they did the parking. We got to park for free at the University of Utah stadium and then ride a free shuttle over to the concert hall. Which was a good thing, because there were about 12 parking places over there.

2. Abravanel Hall is pretty swanky, but they have these huge paintings inside by the stage. They were so bad! Imagine a classical setting, with hills and a temple, and then actors wearing togas, dancers, Shakespeare, either Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, and then a guy making a movie of it all. All so much larger than life. Yes, it was breathtakingly horrible.

3. Apparently everyone else in the concert hall knew at least 5 other people there. Everyone (but us!) was either waving at someone, going to chat with friends, or having theibr friends stop and chat with them. We didn't see a single person we knew until the concert was over, when Randy spotted someone he used to work with. Our conclusion? We are just cooler than everyone else we know. So it's a good thing I can tell you about the fun last night!

4. About the concert - It was so dang good! The first half was more acoustic stuff, with a lot of amazing guitar. They have some serious talent. I didn't know most of the songs, and most of them were in Spanish. But it didn't matter - they were great. Then they took a little break, when everyone visited with their good friends. (see number 3. above) When they came back, Cesar Rosas asked, "Are you ready to stand up?" And they started rocking! It was great. This was more of the music that I knew. They played a great set, including a fantastic version of The Who's "My Generation." 

5. The audience was great! We finally found the good seats. We sat up in the balcony, where we had room enough to stand up and dance. Plus, we could see the front row and the crowd up by the stage. And all sorts of people came to the concert, including white haired ladies that danced the whole time, girls who decided to shed most of their clothing, kids, and lots of folks like us. 

6. The encore - awesome. After they finished and left the stage, the crowd kept on clapping, getting louder and louder, and finally, the started pounding on the stage! So the band came back and played my favorite song of the night, "Don't Worry Baby." Then they did another song that ended with guitarist David Hidalgo pulling fans onto the stage to dance. It was the best concert we have ever been to.

7. As if that weren't enough, we got to get a CD signed by the band afterwards. They were so friendly and nice. 

All in all, it was a great night. I'm sorry the rest of you missed it, but aren't you glad you have me to tell you all about it?