{"id":3674,"date":"2025-07-15T16:16:06","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T16:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/x-and-los-lobos-celebrating-99-years-of-rock-n-roll-together\/"},"modified":"2025-07-15T16:16:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T16:16:06","slug":"x-and-los-lobos-celebrating-99-years-of-rock-n-roll-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/x-and-los-lobos-celebrating-99-years-of-rock-n-roll-together\/","title":{"rendered":"X and Los Lobos: Celebrating \u201899 Years of Rock n\u2019 Roll\u2019 Together"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/07\/Los-Lobos-_desert-_-Piero-F-Giunt_Press-1-1-scaled.jpg\" width=\"1290\" height=\"860\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n<p>For the first and last time, venerated L.A. rock bands X and Los Lobos will join forces for a historic co-headlining tour that gets underway in Denver on July 19<sup>th<\/sup>. The extensive \u201999 Years of Rock n\u2019 Roll\u2019 Tour of North America runs through late November and not only celebrates the respective 48- and 51-year tenures of these musical trailblazers but does so with each of their actual original line-ups in place.<\/p>\n<p>Look for the Exene Cervenka and John Doe-fronted punk pioneers in X to fire off musical missives like \u201cAdult Books,\u201d \u201cWhite Girl,\u201d and \u201cThe Hungry Wolf.\u201d Meanwhile, their longtime friends in Los Lobos pull from a songbook stocked with enduring rave-ups like \u201cDon\u2019t Worry Baby,\u201d \u201cI Got Loaded\u201d and 1987\u2019s chart-topper \u201cLa Bamba.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More from Spin:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2025\/07\/5-things-everyone-in-the-music-industry-should-know\/\">5 Things Everyone in the Music Industry Should Know<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2025\/07\/now-hear-this-july-2025\/\">Now Hear This: July 2025<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2025\/06\/music-that-should-be-seen-and-heard-alanis-morissette-stone-temple-pilots-and-the-b-52s-return-with-kitalbum-format\/\">Music That Should Be Seen and Heard: Alanis Morissette, Stone Temple Pilots, and The B-52\u2019s Return with KiTalbum Format<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s hard to imagine how the L.A.music scene and punk and alternative music as we know it might have evolved were it not for the raw power of X\u2019s Ray Manzarek-produced landmark 1980 debut \u2018Los Angeles.\u2019 And the same should be said for \u2018How Will The Wolf Survive?\u2019 Los Lobos\u2019 revered 1984 long-player stands tall as an innovative amalgam of blues, country and vintage rock n\u2019 roll informed by their Mexican-American musical roots.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought, \u2018Wouldn\u2019t it be fun? Wouldn\u2019t it be crazy?\u201d says Cervenka. \u201cSo we asked Los Lobos if they wanted to do a tour. And they said yes! And it just so happened that we had 99 years together in total. I had always wanted to do something like this and always thought it was a great idea, but back in the beginning, concert promoters would never go for it. So, we had to wait and wait and now we finally get our turn! For us, it\u2019s really a dream come true.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1290\" height=\"855\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/07\/X-2020-credit-Kristy-Benjamin-1290x855.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-468631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/07\/X-2020-credit-Kristy-Benjamin-1290x855.jpg 1290w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/07\/X-2020-credit-Kristy-Benjamin-340x225.jpg 340w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/07\/X-2020-credit-Kristy-Benjamin-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/07\/X-2020-credit-Kristy-Benjamin-768x509.jpg 768w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/07\/X-2020-credit-Kristy-Benjamin-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/07\/X-2020-credit-Kristy-Benjamin-498x330.jpg 498w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/07\/X-2020-credit-Kristy-Benjamin-1668x1106.jpg 1668w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1290px) 100vw, 1290px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">X (Photo Credit Kristy Benjamin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When you consider the fact that Doe and X drummer D.J. Bonebrake also played alongside Los Lobos\u2019 saxophonist\/keyboardist Steve Berlin in the late \u201870s L.A. punk outfit The Flesh Eaters (with esteemed ally Dave Alvin of The Blasters), it\u2019s clear that these friendships run closer to family. \u201cWe\u2019ve known each other so long,\u201d Berlin says. \u201cAnd we love those guys. I mean, we were all at each other\u2019s weddings way back when, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is truly amazing that both line-ups are intact and unchanged and we\u2019re all still playing good music,\u201d Berlin continues, marveling at the longevity of both bands. And while he asserts that Los Lobos has no plans to stop their always active touring schedule, fans of X should be forewarned that this is likely their last big tour.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will continue to do some live things next year. Hopefully, we\u2019ll be doing some festivals and other significant events,\u201d Exene explains. \u201cBut we won\u2019t be driving around the Midwest in a van for weeks at a time anymore and staying in Holiday Inns.\u201d In other words, these 2025 shows should not be missed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In anticipation of the \u201c99 Years\u201d tour, we\u2019re championing the Top 10 most important moments of its respective co-headliners:<\/p>\n<p><strong>10. X forms in 1977<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Vocalist Exene Cervenka, bassist\/singer John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom, and drummer D.J. Bonebrake first came together in tandem with the ascension of the Los Angeles punk scene. The group\u2019s fiery debut single \u201cAdult Books\u201d was released the following year by local independent label Dangerhouse and featured \u201cWe\u2019re Desperate\u201d on the flipside. It left an indelible stamp on the music world.<\/p>\n<p><strong>9.\u00a0 Manzarek Gets X<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Founding Doors member and keyboardist Ray Manzarek produced the band\u2019s 1980 Slash debut \u2018Los Angeles.\u2019\u00a0 This album features the rockabilly-tinged scorcher \u201cJohnny Hit and Run Paulene\u201d and \u201cSoul Kitchen,\u201d a fast blast through the song first made famous by Manzarek\u2019s bandmate Mr. Mojo Risin\u2019. It is considered one of the greatest punk albums of all time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8. Exene and John Get Hitched<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Cervenka and Doe tied the knot in 1980. Although they divorced five years later, they\u2019ve retained an undeniable connection and chemistry affirmed by the fact that they have continued writing and performing music together for the past 40 years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. Album of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1981\u2019s \u2018Wild Gift\u2019 is arguably X\u2019s definitive punk album. It was named the album of the year by <em>The New York Times<\/em> and <em>The Los Angeles Times<\/em> at a time when REO Speedwagon\u2019s <em>Hi Infidelity<\/em> was being shoved down everyone else\u2019s throats. Again helmed by Manzarek, the album\u2019s lone single \u201cWhite Girl\u201d was purportedly written by Doe about Germs bassist Lorna Doom. It was a favorite on KROQ in L.A. around the time it was released.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. Hooray For Hollywood<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>X appeared in Penelope Spheeris\u2019 1981 punk documentary \u2018The Decline of Western Civilization,\u2019 alongside Fear, Circle Jerks, Black Flag and The Germs. John Doe caught the acting bug soon after, and has since been seen in countless movies and television shows, including <em>Road House<\/em>, <em>Boogie Nights<\/em> and <em>Roswell<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. \u201cThe Hungry Wolf\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Hungry Wolf\u201d spearheaded 1982\u2019s \u2018Under The Big Black Sun,\u2019 becoming X\u2019s first MTV breakthrough while spotlighting DJ Bonebrake\u2019s thundering drums and Billy Zoom\u2019s charging guitars. Their first album for major label Elektra Records also marked a stylistic shift toward country and mournful material like \u201cRiding with Mary,\u201d which was influenced by the sudden death of Exene\u2019s older sister Mirielle.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. \u201cWild Thing\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>X released a memorable cover of The Troggs\u2019 classic \u201cWild Thing\u201d as a non-LP single in late 1984. The soaring rendition would later surface in the Charlie Sheen film <em>Major League <\/em>and paved the way for a more mainstream sound. The following year, the band even landed a significant hit on rock radio with \u201cBurning House of Love\u201d (#27), from their record \u2018Ain\u2019t Love Grand.\u2019 Recently, an animated video narrated by Cervenka about the song was released which can be seen here: [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Buva9ags5ic\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Buva9ags5ic<\/a>]\n<p><strong>3. The Knitters<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A side project featuring Exene, John and DJ without Zoom surfaced in 1985. The Knitters\u2019 widely heralded folk and country-influenced album \u2018Poor Little Critter on the Road\u2019 included Dave Alvin from the Blasters, who stayed on for the next X album. 1987\u2019s roots rock-inflected \u2018See How We Are\u2019 touted the exceptional singles \u201c4th of July\u201d and the title track.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. \u2018Alphabetland\u2019 and \u2018Smoke &amp; Fiction\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Zoom returned to the band in 1998 and X kept active through the years, mostly for live dates. Then in 2020, they unleashed \u2018Alphabetland\u2019 to universal acclaim and hit the road. They did so again after their ninth and final studio album \u2018Smoke &amp; Fiction\u2019 was released in 2024 to high praise. Now, X\u2019s participation in \u201999 Years of Rock n\u2019 Roll,\u2019 will mark their final tour. This, according Doe, is because he has no interest in letting the band become a shadow of what it was and wants X to bow out on top.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. X\u2019s Legacy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>X\u2019s influence cannot be denied. Pearl Jam has covered their political anthem \u201cThe New World\u201d from 1983\u2019s \u2018More Fun in the New World.\u2019\u00a0 Elsewhere, performers from Nirvana and Social Distortion to The Replacements and an array of Americana artists like Neko Case and Lucinda Williams have name-checked the group.<\/p>\n<p><strong>10. Los Lobos Align in 1973<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Los Lobos formed in East L.A. when founding members David Hidalgo (vocals, guitar, accordion), Louie Perez, Jr. (drums) Cesar Rosas (vocals, guitar) and Conrad Lozano (bassist) came together. The band\u2019s saxophonist keyboardist and producer Steve Berlin left the Blasters to join them in 1984. Together they\u2019ve built a musical legacy like no other by embracing their Mexican-American pride. They can be counted alongside legends like Ritchie Valens and Santana for their contribution to the evolution of Chicano rock.<\/p>\n<p><strong>9. \u2018How Will The Wolf Survive\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On the heels of the group\u2019s Best Mexican-American Grammy performance for the 1983 instrumental \u201cAnselma\u201d (which can be found on the EP \u2018\u2026And a Time To Dance\u2019) Los Lobos unveiled their aforementioned 1984 breakthrough album. The T-Bone Burnett and Berlin-produced offering fused elements of folk, punk, blues, country, zydeco and rock and earned the band widespread critical acclaim and notoriety.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8. \u201cLa Bamba\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 1987, Los Lobos topped the charts in the U.S. and the U.K. with their rendition of \u201cLa Bamba.\u201d\u00a0 It was one of six Valens songs the group recorded for the blockbuster biopic of the same name. The soundtrack sold a staggering two million copies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7.\u00a0 \u2018La Pistola Y El Corazon\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Los Lobos\u2019 1988 Spanish-Language album explored Tejano, Mariachi and Mexican folk and earned the group their next Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American performance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. Live Collaborations<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Los Lobos have been active in social causes through music, including Farm Aid and have shared the stage with giants of rock like Bob Dylan, U2, The Grateful Dead and U2 through the years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Elvis, Tom and Beyond<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Los Lobos has collaborated in the studio with some impressive friends, including artists like Elvis Costello, John Hiatt, Levon Helm, Ry Cooder and Tom Waits.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Continuous Praise<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Throughout the 1990s, Los Lobos profile remained strong as they pushed the boundaries of what their music should be. Albums like \u2018The Neighborhood\u2019 and \u2018Kiko\u2019 showed artistic growth and continued to earn the band critical praise. The latter became one of the best sellers in Los Lobos\u2019 catalog and gave way to the retrospective compilation \u2018Just Another Band from East L.A.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Hall of Fame<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 2000, Los Lobos was inducted into the Latin Music Hall of Fame. This honor recognized their global impact on Latin music.\u00a0 The same year the band shared its beloved 86-track box set \u2018El Cancionero: Mas y Mas\u2019.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. \u2018The Ride\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 2004, Los Lobos released the collaborative album featuring numerous guests including Bobby Womack, Waits, Ruben Blades, Dave Alvin, Richard Thompson, Costello, Mavis Staples and Garth Hudson.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. <\/strong><strong>National Heritage Fellows \/ California Hall of Fame<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 2021, for their contributions to American music and culture, Los Lobos were honored by the National Endowment for the Arts as National Heritage Fellows, the highest honor bestowed in the United States for folk and traditional arts. In 2022, Los Lobos were recipients of the Arts Award from the Hispanic Heritage Awards at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and won their fourth Grammy for Best Americana Album for <em>Native Sons<\/em>. In 2024, the band was inducted into the California Hall of Fame.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2021\/07\/the-greatest-rock-stars-of-all-time\/?utm_source=yahoo&amp;utm_medium=bottomlink&amp;utm_campaign=yahoolink\">click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the first and last time, venerated L.A. rock bands X and Los Lobos will join forces for a historic co-headlining tour that gets underway in Denver on July 19th.&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[214,213],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ad-takeover","category-partner"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3674\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}