Los Lobos brings eclectic musical mix to DuPage Fair
At the risk of being scolded by an Alaskan Airlines flight attendant for using his phone during the preflight safety rundown, Los Lobos keyboard player and producer Steve Berlin took a few minutes before takeoff to detail what's going on with the band these days.
The band is headlining opening night of the DuPage County Fair in Wheaton Wednesday.
Los Lobos' summer tour kicked off Friday night in Portland, Ore., Berlin's adopted hometown. The tour will weave its way around the U.S. for a couple weeks before heading off to Europe for a few gigs, then back stateside to finish up in Georgia at the end of August. Los Lobos also is playing a few shows at Disney World's Epcot Center in Orlando, which is probably not coincidental since they are releasing an album of cover songs from classic Disney movies in September.
While the tour is tops on Berlin's mind, he also discussed politics, recording live albums at San Francisco's famed Fillmore theater and playing "Sophie's Choice" with the band's three Grammys.
Q. So what's new?
A. Our summer kind of starts in Portland. I haven't been home in a while. We took some time off and now is the start of a six-week nonstop tourathon. Even though it's just one night, it will be nice to sleep in my own bed for a change.
Q. What's going on with this CD of Disney covers?
A. It's been done for the better part of a year and a half now. It'll be released in September. It's a kids record of Disney classic songs. One of the guy's daughters researched the songs for us. There are a couple Snow White songs, but she was invaluable to us going around finding songs for us to do.
Q. Did you get to choose which songs to cover or were you given a list?
A. Disney was great about it actually. They said to do anything we want. We kept asking for direction and they said do whatever.
Q. What did you think of Obama's "Yes We Can" campaign slogan considering the Spanish translation "Si Se Puede!" is the name of your band's first album?
A. I couldn't believe he couldn't think of something original with all the time on his hands. No, seriously though, we're honored. But we didn't get an invite to the inauguration.
Q. Are you a political band?
A. We have our belief system, but I don't think we're as forward as I think we should be. But I believe we stand for something and there aren't a lot of Hispanic bands that do that. The fact that we've been doing this for so long has to say something about us.
Q. How is it being a white guy from Philadelphia in an otherwise all-Latino band from East L.A.?
A. They all stopped talking about me a long time ago. It's really never been a big deal.
Q. Which Grammy are you proudest of?
A. The first one was pretty cool. But they're always good to get. I'm not going to turn any of them down.
Q. You guys have a live album recorded at the Fillmore and seemingly so does almost every other established rock band. What's so special about that place?
A. You definitely feel the presence of the ghosts there. You feel the presence of Jimi (Hendrix) and the Allman Brothers and all the other great bands that have played before you. It's hallowed ground. We've been lucky that the ghosts are friendly. And I just found the other day that we have the record for most consecutive appearances there, and so the Fillmore does mean something to us.
Q. You're doing a little European tour soon, which stop are you looking forward to most?
A. We've never been to Scotland and that sounds like fun, being the degenerate golfer that I am. So I'm hoping that will be cool. Amsterdam is also always fun.
Q. Can you guys perform without doing "La Bamba" or do you fear a riot?
A. Sometimes the crowds can get very insistent about it. It's a calling card at this point. No matter how out of the mainstream we are, we've still got that in our back pocket. If nothing else, the crowd always knows what that one's about.
If you go
What: Los Lobos at the DuPage County Fair
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 22
Where: DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 W. Manchester Road, Wheaton
Cost: Free with fair admission of $10 for adults; $3 for children ages 3 to 12; free for children 2 and younger. Free for seniors 62 and older from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday
Info: (630) 668-6636 or dupagecountyfair.org