Photos and review by NOTES FROM VIVACE
LOS ANGELES – Sunday night at Zebulon was a tribute to the raw sounds of 1980s “cowpunk,” “roots rock” and the Southern California bands that came out of that era. “Western Edge – the 80s: A Celebration of Groundbreaking SoCal Roots Music” was inspired by a current exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.
The curator of the “Western Edge” event was John Surge who also opened up the night with a short set via his band John Surge and The Haymakers. After his set, the night featured performances from numerous Los Angeles musicians covering a song each, all backed by musical director Chris Masterson and his band.
Some of the highlights included:
Dead Rock West cover of X had the crowd gasping with joy. Nancy Sanchez told about her personal connection to Los Lobos (read below for our interview with her). The Doohickeys lightened up the mood with a comedic opening. Manda Mosher mentioned that Bruce Springsteen is a fan of Rank and File music. Shooter Jennings hit the keys. Chris Pierce got some of the loudest cheers from the crowd.
The night was run so efficiently that the event was running 45 minutes faster than anticipated and that caught Leroy From The North off guard. He was hanging outside when his name was called and people had to go searching for him. He might have been late (or early according to the schedule), but he probably had the most fun on stage. Eugene Edwards closed out the night by joining the audience while singing The Blasters.
It was mentioned that some of those playing weren’t even aware of the bands that they were asked to cover. Of course, if some in the audience found that strange, let’s say at least one person had never heard of the Zebulon, which LA music scensters would find strange. That’s how it was meant to be. As Surge said in the press release, “This is a way to bring together all the generations in the community and celebrate a key element of the city’s country DNA.”
US Rocker had the opportunity to interview some of the Los Angeles musicians who were on stage.
Jack Hackett of The Doohickeys: “I’ve heard so many stories about the explosive ’80s music scene in LA and have been increasingly jealous that I missed out on something really special,” Hackett said. “Well, after the show on Sunday, my jealousy’s at an all time high. The show was an absolute blast. I’m honored to have been on a line up that gave me a little taste of what I could’ve experienced back then.”
Nocona said: “This was an amazing night to be a part of, not only because all these artists we covered tonight deserve such an homage and love letter from these L.A bands they so profoundly influenced, but also because of the incredible caliber of all the musicians on the bill, Nocona said. “The repertoire and influences of this era are so clearly audible in all of our music and even many bands today who may not be familiar with these seminal groups and these formative years during the 80’s when L.A was such a seething cauldron of energy, creativity and originality from all these L.A artists who called this city home and cut their teeth on the boulevard of broken dreams all over town from places as diverse as The Palomino and the Troubadour to Club Lingerie, The Starwood and The Whiskey and all the punk rock dives and honky-tonks in between. Their energy and tradition lives on and we are all just lucky to carry the torch for them.”
Nancy Sanchez said: “It was an honor to be a part of this special night, honoring the cutting-edge bands of the ’80’s and their beautiful songs. The musical Director Chris Masterson assembled an all-star band to back so many talented artists performing these songs.”
As for playing Los Lobos, Sanchez said: “’Will the Wolf Survive’” is the first major-label album Los Lobos released in 1984 (happy 40th Wolf!). This song means so much to me [the title track] and the more I sing it the more layered it gets.”
She added: “In 1989 my parents immigrated to the US from Toluca Mexico, I was 3 1/2 years old.
It was a new land, new language, new culture for us and we didn’t know how to live at first. But slowly, one night gig at a time (my dad was a musician and also did all kinds of jobs) cleaning one house and hotel room at a time (my mom was a housekeeper all her life) and watching a lot of PBS we figured it out. In a way, my dad was the wolf, we were the wolf.
“Los Lobos was the first Chicano band my father introduced to my sister and I. He played this cassette tape over and over again. Los Lobos taught me how to be Mexican American and I feel so lucky I’ve gotten to open up for them a few times in the last couple years, it’s a full circle moment for me.”
Lineup: John Surge & The Haymakers, Pearl & Jim Wilson (Lucinda Williams cover), Nocona (Rosie Flores), Dead Rock West (X), Johnny Marfa (The Rave-Ups), Nancy Sanchez (Los Lobos), John Surge (Desert Rose Band), The Doohickeys (Lone Justice), Manda Mosher (Rank and File), Grant Langston (Dwight Yoakam), The Mastersons (The Knitters), Shooter Jennings, Chris Pierce (Lucinda Williams), Chris Pierce and Garrison Starr (Lone Justice), Dustbowl Revival (The Blasters), Leroy From The North (The Long Ryders), Eugene Edwards (The Blasters)
If visiting the Nashville area don’t forget to check out “Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock” exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, on view through August of 2025.
Check out ‘Western Edge’ curated by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: