“Inspiration comes from existence, from the life that we have,” said Ringo Garza just a few minutes before going on stage, while he tapped his drumsticks on his chair as if it was a drum.
His two brothers, Jojo and Henry, were getting ready around him. Meanwhile, outside the dressing room at the Flagstar Strand Theatre, hundreds began to gather for Los Lonely Boys’ return to Michigan after almost a year.
On Friday night, July 7, Grammy Award winners Los Lonely Boys (LLB) had hundreds of fans dancing and rocking in Pontiac as part of their nationwide tour. The Flagstar Strand Theatre seats went unused as fans swayed and danced to the Texican rock & roll sound of the trio band from San Angelo, Texas. “Texican rock and roll” is a term coined by the band to describe their unique musical style, which blends rock and roll, Texas blues, and Tejano.
“Just the life that we have, brother. That’s an inspiration, along with the family that we have,” added Henry, guitarist and vocalist of LLB, while reminiscing about the more than twenty years of the band’s musical career. Los Lonely Boys, formed by the three Garza brothers in 1996, returned to the stage in summer 2022 after a break of almost three years.
The opening blues-rock band, Mark Kassa and Slight Return, had left the audience hyped and ready for the headliners. Henry was the first to take the stage, followed by his brothers. Amidst shouts and whistles, he grabbed the microphone, and a simple and loud “Hola, Michigan!” was enough to send the crowd into a frenzy of applause and cheers, which were quickly silenced by “Rockpango,” the first song of the night.
Although there are about 1,400 miles of distance between Pontiac and San Angelo, the trio feels no difference in the audiences despite the hundreds of miles. “They’re good folks, good people; they’re good fans, whether it’s here in Michigan or Texas. They always make us feel at home,” said Henry.
Among the crowd was Javir Aleman, a Pontiac resident, who came with his brothers to see the show. “Our father was born in Texas, and we’ve listened to them ever since they first came out. We’re a trio of brothers also, just as they are,” said Aleman. “The show was awesome. It was everything I expected and more.”
Michigan is no stranger to the cultural influence of the Texan and Mexican communities; waves of labor migration from the southern states and Mexico left their mark on cities and towns across this region of the Midwest, creating cultural influences that still exist in music, art, and food.
The band Los Primos, founded in Detroit by Martin Solis in the late 40s, stands out as a pillar of Tex-Mex music in Michigan. Solis was the first Michigan musician inducted into the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and the Tejano R.O.O.T.S. Hall of Fame.
Additionally, On the intersection of 21st and Bagley Streets in Southwest Detroit, a marker honoring the legacy of Tejano music in the city was unveiled in 2023, where Solis is remembered along with other Tejano artists from Michigan.
Frank Solis, president and co-founder of the Martin H. Solis Jr. Tejano Association, explained that Texan music influences made his way from the southern states to other cities by the hand of artist like Tony de la Rosa, Oscar Hernandez, Cha Cha Jimenez, Los Chachos, among others. “It evolved from the 30s with the likes of Narcizo Martinez and his conjunto,” Solis said.
“Through the 80s and early 2000s, the Tex-Mex scene turned into a major music industry across the country, having Selena Quintanilla as its most important picture,” Solis highlighted. “Also, many artists from big Midwest cities, Chicago and Detroit, started to pop up and find spaces in the industry as many records started to appear as well.”
“We know there is Chicano and Tejano music around here, and although we go more into rock and roll, we’d like to hear more about them,” said Henry, who also encouraged the Tejan and Mexican community to keep going forward. “Thanks for everything and pa´ adelante,” he finished.
The show had reached its end; Henry walked off the stage after dropping his guitar picks and JoJo, bass and voice, were thanking their fans for coming to the show. From the crowd, their voices were intensely shouting “Heaven” one of the band’s greatest hits. They wanted more.
Without more comments, Los Lonely Boys pleased their fans with the last song of the night. Having everyone singing and dancing “Heaven”, it marked on them an unforgettable night in Pontiac, Michigan.
Erick Diaz Veliz is a Peruvian reporter based in Lansing, Michigan. He has documents and reports on cultural, social, and political issues in Peru and Michigan as a freelancer. Erick was born in Lima, Peru, and has been living in Lansing since 2018.
This article and photos were made possible thanks to a generous grant to EL CENTRAL Hispanic News by Press Forward, the national movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news. Learn more at www.pressforward.news.
