A cool fall breeze made the teeth of everyone in the audience chatter at the Roots N Blues N BBQ festival Sept. 28. Leaves began to fall off the trees as musicians played all throughout the fairgrounds. As the day wound down, Los Lobos put some heat back into the hearts and ears of festival-goers as their opening songs took the word toe-tapper to a new meaning.

The 45-year-old band delivered soul-filled Tejano music to old and new listeners on the frigid fall evening, bringing a true show to Columbia. The performance began rather slowly as technical difficulties and proper tuning required more prep time than originally believed. After a short band introduction and a few test plucks of guitar strings, the band was ready to rock the house.

Soon after, the show hit full swing. Listeners old and young danced and sang along as the band struck each note in perfect time, making audience members forget all about the time spent waiting.

The band played songs off of their new album “Gates of Gold” in which they explored specific moments in the band members’ lives. Some triumphant and some soulful, the set list kept the entire show crackling with electricity. The band exuded a feeling of relaxed professionalism throughout the show. Instead of feeling out of date, each member seemed experienced in their craft, creating a strong, friendly atmosphere for a crowd of all ages.

The spotlight was truly given to the music, at some points literally. Light effects like LEDs and strobes amplified the music in simple ways, such as sticking to cooler colors during slow and sad songs while using reds and oranges for faster ones. The vocals at times were soft as a strong guitar or drum sequences overtook them. At other times, the perfect switching of band members between instruments was so wonderful you forgot about any past mistakes.

Following the band’s theme of a heavy mexican influence, the show featured several interesting instruments such as an accordion and a charango. These instruments kept the act fresh and enhanced the soul of the music. Overall, Los Lobos kept its reputation alive as the band delivered yet another fantastic show.

_Edited by Alexandra Sharp | asharp@themaneater.com_