O.C. POP MUSIC REVIEW : ‘Taste’ Crowd Savors Los Lobos

What qualities would you look for in finding the perfect band to compliment A Taste of Orange County, the annual three-day food and fun fair?

You’d look for a band with its roots in Southern California, one that reflects the area’s ethnic heritage, but whose appeal transcends that ethnicity. The group should embrace a wide range of music, be the kind of band that would draw generations together rather than please the under-30 crowd at the expense of offending those who have been around since Elvis hit it big. Most of all, you’d want a group that would get people up and dancing.

That group would be Los Lobos.

In a 1 1/2-hour set Friday that concluded opening-night activities on the main stage at the Irvine Spectrum, Los Lobos kept the party happening with its mix of blues, roots rock and norteno-inspired Mexican songs as well as a fair sampling from its last, somewhat moody release, “Kiko.”

The set resembled the one performed in Santa Ana last year at the now-defunct Rhythm Cafe, including the Grateful Dead’s “Bertha” as an encore. But the similarities pointed to another fact: This is a band we never tire of hearing.

As in that autumn appearance, Los Lobos seemed to take it up a notch during the three-tune encore. After closing the set with a hard-rocking “Jenny Can Ride” that featured Cesar Rosas’ insistent vocals and sizzling, not overly ambitious guitar licks from David Hidalgo, the group came back with an even harder version of “I Walk Alone,” done at a more upbeat tempo than the version heard on their 1990 release, “The Neighborhood.”

They closed out with “Bertha,” a tune that fits comfortably into their repertoire. Hidalgo’s Jerry Garcia-like guitar lines drove the boogie-powered lament into exalted territory, a performance that had the crowd cheering long before the tune drew to a close.

Earlier, the group did a thickly rhythmic version of “Dream In Blue,” which benefited from the addition of second percussionist Victor Bisetti. Bisetti, with regular drummer Louie Perez, worked up a sultry wall of funk before the band, without a break, moved into their signature tune, “Will the Wolf Survive?”

A central reason for Los Lobos’ appeal is the contrasting vocal styles of Rosas, who has a strong, direct way of dealing with blues and roots-rock numbers, and Hidalgo, whose voice delivers the emotional goods on ballads and the more socially conscious numbers. Rosas was at his best on upbeat tunes such as “Jenny Can Ride.” Hidalgo painted pictures as he developed the lyrical landscape of “Down on the Riverbed,” with its circling hawk and “a monster cloud/like a big black hand.”

Surprisingly, the more temperamental pieces, such as “Kiko and the Lavender Moon,” with Hidalgo’s minor-key accordion ornamentation, worked well in this celebratory context. That a number as dark as “Wicked Rain” didn’t detract from the overall mood was due to the strong pull of its rhythms, and the fact that it was followed by upbeat traditional Mexican party music.

Los Lobos, celebrating its 20th year (the band also includes keyboardist-saxophonist Steve Berlin and bassist Conrad R. Lozano), will soon release a two-disc retrospective of its long career. If Friday’s performance is any indication, it will be a document to cherish.

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Opening earlier in the evening on the main stage was an equally appropriate ensemble for the occasion, The Derek Bordeaux Group. Singer Bordeaux beefed up his usual R&B; band that appears around the county, most notably at the Cafe Lido in Newport Beach, with a four-piece horn section that gave added weight to his mix of soul, funk and blues.

Beginning without Bordeaux, the group got things off on a good foot with a surprisingly tight version of the Average White Band’s “Pick Up the Pieces,” which featured a hot-and-bothered tenor saxophone solo from Wayne Wayne. Second vocalist Venson Quarles worked out on Bill Withers’ “Use Me,” displaying a bit of range and a fondness for working the beat as he delivers a lyric.

With Bordeaux, the band surveyed a wide range of R&B; that included tunes from Marvin Gaye, Al Green, James Brown and even Jimi Hendrix.

Bordeaux put his masculine, somewhat airy tones to a host of medleys including Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” and “Mercy, Mercy Me.” There was an engaging sexiness in his voice during a playful rendition of “Twistin’ the Night Away.” Though his falsetto may not be as convincing as Gaye’s--the singer seemed to falter just a bit in the upper register when doing the Temptations’ “Just My Imagination”--Bordeaux is a strong vocalist who has some of Teddy Pendergrass’ appeal coupled with an easygoing stage presence.

Guitarist Byron Bordeaux, Derek’s brother, donned a headband to pay tribute to Jimi Hendrix with “Purple Haze,” an effort that was more imitation than innovative. The unrehearsed horn section provided tough, if not always tight, accompaniment and improvisational interest to the proceedings. Of special note was the cutting exchange between Wayne and alto saxophonist Albert Wing on “Just My Imagination.”

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The most inspiring dance music of the evening came from African pop group Bateke Beat, last seen in the county in September when they played the San Juan Capistrano Regional Library’s Multicultural Performance series. Tucked away on a small stage in a far corner of the festival grounds (A Taste featured a total of four stages for musical entertainment), Bateke Beat nevertheless attracted a large crowd of free-form dancers moving to the music’s infectious pulse.

The group’s leader, bassist and vocalist Bateke, who hails from the Congo, has been influenced by everything from Salvation Army bands to the rhythm of the Ituri forest Pygmies (he also spent three years with Nigerian Fela Anikulapo’s band before coming to America). His music is a mix of regional African styles, all propelled by hypnotic percussion work and Bateke’s pointed, often suggestive bass sounds.

The other members of the band--guitarist-vocalist Eno Ngoma, guitarist Andy Abad, percussionists Aaron Gross and Homero Chavez (who utilized a synthesizer for his percussive contributions)--worked well inside the grooves, participating in call-and-response passages and letting the instruments rise from the mix into lead statements before settling back into the mix.

The band’s last number of the day, “Bokino,” told the story of a marriage in trouble before it could even get off the ground. The lengthy number kept a rock-steady beat in the forefront that resulted in wild, arm-waving dances from those in front of the stage and even an attempt or two at limbo.

Organizers of the event estimated Friday’s crowd at 18,000. A Taste of Orange County continued Saturday and Sunday.