The Grammy-winning trio Los Lonely Boys plans only two gigs in Washington this year — and Everett has one of them.
The Garza brothers — Henry, Jojo and Ringo — will play the Historic Everett Theatre at 7 p.m. April 27. The show is part of Los Lonely Boys’ national tour for their latest alum, “Revelation.” They’ll also play at the Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival on July 22.
The brothers combine elements of rock ‘n’ roll, brown-eyed soul, country and Tejano during its live performances, which include original tracks and covers of their biggest inspirations, including Carlos Santana and Willie Nelson.
“You’re gonna hear some guitar shredding, bass thumping and some drums crashing around,” middle brother Jojo Garza said. “You’re gonna get all aspects of music.”
The band was booked based on popular demand, theater manager Curt Shriner said. The theater received several hundred responses from a survey asking patrons who they wanted to see take the stage.
“Los Lonely Boys came in really high on that list,” Shriner said.
The band, formed in 1996, is probably best known for its first single “Heaven” which won the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The Garzas have collaborated with Santana and Nelson, played all over the world and released nearly a dozen albums since then.
Out of all that, Jojo Garza is still most proud that the brothers have stayed together for the past 20 years. He said it’s typical for family bands to split up.
“We’re honored and very thankful about the fact that we’re still together and on the same page,” he said. “You hear it all the time how family just can’t work together.”
Music has been in the brothers’ lives since they were kids growing up in San Angelo, Texas. Their father, Henry Garza Sr., had his own band and their late mother was a singer.
They all started on the guitar. Henry, the oldest, even wrote his first love song when he was 5 years old. The three practiced together every day.
“It’s the norm until your friends come over, and they don’t understand why you’re not playing with crayons,” Garza, 37, said. “We were inside jamming away.”
After they learned to write music and play the piano and drums, they fell into their own instruments. Henry plays the guitar, Ringo is on (fittingly) the drums and Jojo plays bass; all of them sing.
Their dedication and drive to become full-time musicians kept other distractions at bay, Jojo Garza said.
“We had the opportunity to wind up in jail,” he said. “That was a path laid out for cats like us. The story really comes down to sort of being saved by music.”
They weren’t even teenagers yet when they started playing shows as a trio. Eventually they made it into clubs in Austin, Texas. The brothers’ first breakthrough came when Willie Nelson’s nephew heard their demos. They later recorded an album at Nelson’s Pedernales Studio, which released on Epic Records and sold 2 million copies.
Most of their lyrics are about their life experiences. Some are just about having a good time, but many touch on everyday life.
“We’re just trying to relate musically with people who maybe feel they’re unrelatable in a sense,” Jojo Garza said. “When you hear a song that plays on the same chords as your heart and mind, it’s like water — it’s like something you need. We talk about love, we talk about hate, light, darkness, ups and downs.”
If you go
Los Lonely Boys are performing at 7 p.m. on April 27 at the Historic Everett Theatre, 2911 Colby Ave. Tickets start at $52.
Order tickets online at www.historiceveretttheatre.org. Learn more about Los Lonely Boys at www.loslonelyboys.com.
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