For the first and last time, venerated L.A. rock bands X and Los Lobos will join forces for a historic co-headlining tour that gets underway in Denver on July 19th. The extensive ’99 Years of Rock n’ Roll’ Tour of North America runs through late November and not only celebrates the respective 48- and 51-year tenures of these musical trailblazers but does so with each of their actual original line-ups in place.
Look for the Exene Cervenka and John Doe-fronted punk pioneers in X to fire off musical missives like “Adult Books,” “White Girl,” and “The Hungry Wolf.” Meanwhile, their longtime friends in Los Lobos pull from a songbook stocked with enduring rave-ups like “Don’t Worry Baby,” “I Got Loaded” and 1987’s chart-topper “La Bamba.”
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It’s hard to imagine how the L.A.music scene and punk and alternative music as we know it might have evolved were it not for the raw power of X’s Ray Manzarek-produced landmark 1980 debut ‘Los Angeles.’ And the same should be said for ‘How Will The Wolf Survive?’ Los Lobos’ revered 1984 long-player stands tall as an innovative amalgam of blues, country and vintage rock n’ roll informed by their Mexican-American musical roots.
“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun? Wouldn’t it be crazy?” says Cervenka. “So we asked Los Lobos if they wanted to do a tour. And they said yes! And it just so happened that we had 99 years together in total. I had always wanted to do something like this and always thought it was a great idea, but back in the beginning, concert promoters would never go for it. So, we had to wait and wait and now we finally get our turn! For us, it’s really a dream come true.”
When you consider the fact that Doe and X drummer D.J. Bonebrake also played alongside Los Lobos’ saxophonist/keyboardist Steve Berlin in the late ‘70s L.A. punk outfit The Flesh Eaters (with esteemed ally Dave Alvin of The Blasters), it’s clear that these friendships run closer to family. “We’ve known each other so long,” Berlin says. “And we love those guys. I mean, we were all at each other’s weddings way back when, you know?”
“It is truly amazing that both line-ups are intact and unchanged and we’re all still playing good music,” Berlin continues, marveling at the longevity of both bands. And while he asserts that Los Lobos has no plans to stop their always active touring schedule, fans of X should be forewarned that this is likely their last big tour.
“We will continue to do some live things next year. Hopefully, we’ll be doing some festivals and other significant events,” Exene explains. “But we won’t be driving around the Midwest in a van for weeks at a time anymore and staying in Holiday Inns.” In other words, these 2025 shows should not be missed.
In anticipation of the “99 Years” tour, we’re championing the Top 10 most important moments of its respective co-headliners:
10. X forms in 1977
Vocalist Exene Cervenka, bassist/singer John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom, and drummer D.J. Bonebrake first came together in tandem with the ascension of the Los Angeles punk scene. The group’s fiery debut single “Adult Books” was released the following year by local independent label Dangerhouse and featured “We’re Desperate” on the flipside. It left an indelible stamp on the music world.
9. Manzarek Gets X
Founding Doors member and keyboardist Ray Manzarek produced the band’s 1980 Slash debut ‘Los Angeles.’ This album features the rockabilly-tinged scorcher “Johnny Hit and Run Paulene” and “Soul Kitchen,” a fast blast through the song first made famous by Manzarek’s bandmate Mr. Mojo Risin’. It is considered one of the greatest punk albums of all time.
8. Exene and John Get Hitched
Cervenka and Doe tied the knot in 1980. Although they divorced five years later, they’ve retained an undeniable connection and chemistry affirmed by the fact that they have continued writing and performing music together for the past 40 years.
7. Album of the Year
1981’s ‘Wild Gift’ is arguably X’s definitive punk album. It was named the album of the year by The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times at a time when REO Speedwagon’s Hi Infidelity was being shoved down everyone else’s throats. Again helmed by Manzarek, the album’s lone single “White Girl” was purportedly written by Doe about Germs bassist Lorna Doom. It was a favorite on KROQ in L.A. around the time it was released.
6. Hooray For Hollywood
X appeared in Penelope Spheeris’ 1981 punk documentary ‘The Decline of Western Civilization,’ alongside Fear, Circle Jerks, Black Flag and The Germs. John Doe caught the acting bug soon after, and has since been seen in countless movies and television shows, including Road House, Boogie Nights and Roswell.
5. “The Hungry Wolf”
“The Hungry Wolf” spearheaded 1982’s ‘Under The Big Black Sun,’ becoming X’s first MTV breakthrough while spotlighting DJ Bonebrake’s thundering drums and Billy Zoom’s charging guitars. Their first album for major label Elektra Records also marked a stylistic shift toward country and mournful material like “Riding with Mary,” which was influenced by the sudden death of Exene’s older sister Mirielle.
4. “Wild Thing”
X released a memorable cover of The Troggs’ classic “Wild Thing” as a non-LP single in late 1984. The soaring rendition would later surface in the Charlie Sheen film Major League and paved the way for a more mainstream sound. The following year, the band even landed a significant hit on rock radio with “Burning House of Love” (#27), from their record ‘Ain’t Love Grand.’ Recently, an animated video narrated by Cervenka about the song was released which can be seen here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Buva9ags5ic]
3. The Knitters
A side project featuring Exene, John and DJ without Zoom surfaced in 1985. The Knitters’ widely heralded folk and country-influenced album ‘Poor Little Critter on the Road’ included Dave Alvin from the Blasters, who stayed on for the next X album. 1987’s roots rock-inflected ‘See How We Are’ touted the exceptional singles “4th of July” and the title track.
2. ‘Alphabetland’ and ‘Smoke & Fiction’
Zoom returned to the band in 1998 and X kept active through the years, mostly for live dates. Then in 2020, they unleashed ‘Alphabetland’ to universal acclaim and hit the road. They did so again after their ninth and final studio album ‘Smoke & Fiction’ was released in 2024 to high praise. Now, X’s participation in ’99 Years of Rock n’ Roll,’ will mark their final tour. This, according Doe, is because he has no interest in letting the band become a shadow of what it was and wants X to bow out on top.
1. X’s Legacy
X’s influence cannot be denied. Pearl Jam has covered their political anthem “The New World” from 1983’s ‘More Fun in the New World.’ Elsewhere, performers from Nirvana and Social Distortion to The Replacements and an array of Americana artists like Neko Case and Lucinda Williams have name-checked the group.
10. Los Lobos Align in 1973
Los Lobos formed in East L.A. when founding members David Hidalgo (vocals, guitar, accordion), Louie Perez, Jr. (drums) Cesar Rosas (vocals, guitar) and Conrad Lozano (bassist) came together. The band’s saxophonist keyboardist and producer Steve Berlin left the Blasters to join them in 1984. Together they’ve built a musical legacy like no other by embracing their Mexican-American pride. They can be counted alongside legends like Ritchie Valens and Santana for their contribution to the evolution of Chicano rock.
9. ‘How Will The Wolf Survive’
On the heels of the group’s Best Mexican-American Grammy performance for the 1983 instrumental “Anselma” (which can be found on the EP ‘…And a Time To Dance’) Los Lobos unveiled their aforementioned 1984 breakthrough album. The T-Bone Burnett and Berlin-produced offering fused elements of folk, punk, blues, country, zydeco and rock and earned the band widespread critical acclaim and notoriety.
8. “La Bamba”
In 1987, Los Lobos topped the charts in the U.S. and the U.K. with their rendition of “La Bamba.” It was one of six Valens songs the group recorded for the blockbuster biopic of the same name. The soundtrack sold a staggering two million copies.
7. ‘La Pistola Y El Corazon’
Los Lobos’ 1988 Spanish-Language album explored Tejano, Mariachi and Mexican folk and earned the group their next Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American performance.
6. Live Collaborations
Los Lobos have been active in social causes through music, including Farm Aid and have shared the stage with giants of rock like Bob Dylan, U2, The Grateful Dead and U2 through the years.
5. Elvis, Tom and Beyond
Los Lobos has collaborated in the studio with some impressive friends, including artists like Elvis Costello, John Hiatt, Levon Helm, Ry Cooder and Tom Waits.
4. Continuous Praise
Throughout the 1990s, Los Lobos profile remained strong as they pushed the boundaries of what their music should be. Albums like ‘The Neighborhood’ and ‘Kiko’ showed artistic growth and continued to earn the band critical praise. The latter became one of the best sellers in Los Lobos’ catalog and gave way to the retrospective compilation ‘Just Another Band from East L.A.’
3. Hall of Fame
In 2000, Los Lobos was inducted into the Latin Music Hall of Fame. This honor recognized their global impact on Latin music. The same year the band shared its beloved 86-track box set ‘El Cancionero: Mas y Mas’.
2. ‘The Ride’
In 2004, Los Lobos released the collaborative album featuring numerous guests including Bobby Womack, Waits, Ruben Blades, Dave Alvin, Richard Thompson, Costello, Mavis Staples and Garth Hudson.
1. National Heritage Fellows / California Hall of Fame
In 2021, for their contributions to American music and culture, Los Lobos were honored by the National Endowment for the Arts as National Heritage Fellows, the highest honor bestowed in the United States for folk and traditional arts. In 2022, Los Lobos were recipients of the Arts Award from the Hispanic Heritage Awards at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and won their fourth Grammy for Best Americana Album for Native Sons. In 2024, the band was inducted into the California Hall of Fame.
To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.
