Los Lonely Boys rock Jannus, give World Series update
October 24th, 2008 by Anthony Salveggi in ReviewsTexas rock band Los Lonely Boys played a spirited set for an enthusiastic and appreciative crowd last night at Jannus Landing. Brothers Henry, Jojo and Ringo took the stage wearing Tampa Bay Rays jerseys (adorned with World Series patches) and proceeded to burn through about 90 minutes of their trademark Texican rock ‘n’ roll, spiked with extended, jaw-dropping jams.
Los Lonely Beatles?
The interplay among the siblings was mesmerizing, from Jojo’s effortless runs on his five-string bass to Ringo’s spot-on, energizing rhythms to the trio’s sweet, otherworldly harmonies that one can only guess are so perfect because they’re genetically encoded.
But it was guitarist Henry who shone brightest, coaxing an array of gorgeous sounds out of what looked like a series of Fender Stratocasters. He could be soothing and soulful, as on the bluesy, pop-tinged “I Am the Man to Beat” or shred with abandon, as on the chugging, Cream-influenced cover of “Crossroads.” Henry’s fiery fretwork often bore the imprint of his influences, recalling the warm tone and lead/rhythm majesty of Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as the crystal raindrop precision of Carlos Santana.
From the moment they hit the stage to their post-encore (the sublime “Heaven,” by the way) valedictions of “God bless you” to the crowd, the Boys radiated good vibes, particularly Jojo, who smiled almost nonstop as he mugged and played to the crowd (and even gave his Rays jersey to a fan late in the show). Henry gave shout-outs to “Tampa Bay,” “St. Petersburg” and “Florida” throughout the evening, but the best hometown reference came when Jojo (if memory serves) let the crowd know that the Rays were up 4-0 over the Phillies at nearby Tropicana Field. The crowd roared its approval and the Boys went back to work, eager to please their fans. They were more than up to the task.
October 24th, 2008 at 11:48 am
I found out why they were wearing those jerseys. They sang the national anthem at Tropicana Field before the Rays game.
October 24th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Aye that JoJo – literally will give the shirt off his back to his fans. Love that! The boys did an outstanding rendition of our National Anthem prior to the show. Sure made me proud of our Texican Brothers. JoJo plays a 6-string bass though.! Rock on Los Lonely BoyS!
October 24th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Thanks for the correction on Jojo’s bass, Velvetsky. Now I wish I’d seen the Boys at the Trop, too.