Revealing Rock en Espan~ol’s Softer Side

There was a very special softness to Los Enanitos Verdes’ pop-rock songs Wednesday at the House of Blues, a gentle quality that was very different from the nervy sonic attack that defines the other, more popular rock en espan~ol bands from Argentina.

But the three members of Los Enanitos Verdes (augmented Wednesday by a keyboardist) are from the province of Mendoza, not from Argentina’s big, gray metropolis, Buenos Aires. That alone could explain their anti-rock star stance on stage, the softly spoken chats with the audience and the meditative nature of their songs.

When it was time to party, the radio-friendly tunes came with a political message, as in “Guitarras Blancas” (White Guitars), a radio anthem from the mid-’80s that asks, demands and begs for permission to dance. Even today, the song’s raw symbolism brings to mind Argentina’s past military dictatorship, a time when dancing, speaking up or even thinking could be hazardous to your health.

Midway through the show, the band was joined by Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, veteran guitarist from Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, who was involved in the production of the group’s latest record, the poignant “Guerra Gaucha.” It was time for some Argentine blues and the dueling guitars of Baxter and the excellent Felipe Staiti.

Baxter’s appearance and a brisk performance of “I Saw Her Standing There” proved yet again that the worlds of Latin and Anglo rock can merge with passion and gusto.