Formed of three brothers, Henry (guitars), JoJo (bass) and Ringo Garza (drums), the Los Lonely Boys were surrounded by music from an early age, becoming their father's backing band before they had reached their teens. Having relocated back to Texas, US from Nashville, US, the brothers set out on their own, developing their unique style.
In 2003, they recorded their self-titled debut record, which they recorded at Willie Nelson's Austin, Texas, US, studio. Epic Records were impressed by the album, re-releasing it for their major label debut in 2004, finding chart success. Rounding out a successful year, they received a Grammy Award for 'Best Pop Performance' in 2004.
After this breakout success, Los Lonely Boys continued to record strong albums, with 2006's "Sacred," 2008's "Forgiven" and the christmas-themed album, "Christmas Spirit," also in 2008. After releasing an EP of covers, "1969," they recorded the powerful "Solid Ground," a song written to raise money and attention of the Family Justice Center of Erie County, an Austin-based charity that supported victims of domestic violence.
Years of constant touring took its toll, and JoJo Garza had developed lesions on his vocal chords in 2010, prompting a break from live performances. It was another year before a new album of original material, 2011's "Rockpango," saw release. More health problems plagued the sibling-trio, after Henry Garza fell from the stage and suffered a serious spinal injury. After recovery, the band returned to strength in 2014, releasing their new album, "Revelation." The album was a moderate success, peaking at number 128 on the Billboard 200.
One of the many perks of being a university student is the chance to see tons of shows, for free. One of the shows that I took full advantage of was the Los Lonely Boys at the Riverside Fox Theater in Riverside, California. Consisting of brothers Henry, Jojo and Ringo Garza, Los Lonely Boys combine their Chicano upbringing with American rock and roll.
When I saw them, the crowd consisted of a large mix of people of all ages. The venue was seated, so it was a fairly mellow show. The lights came down, except for the stage lights, and some stuffy middle-aged Fox theater worker introduced the band. But when the band took the stage the energy instantly changed. They opened with “Diamonds,” which got a lot of people up off their seats to jam to the music, and they remained that way until the end of the show. I was really happy with the fact that they performed songs from all of their albums, including their old stuff. It was also the first time I had heard their new stuff, which has taken on more of a laid back tempo.
Even though I was there with a group of my college friends, it was a nice family affair type show. Their music appeals to so many people, and the live sets are, believe it or not, much more energetic than their studio versions.