Steve Earle, Los Lobos to perform Saturday at LaGrange venue

Aug. 25—LaGRANGE — Steve Earle, one of the most acclaimed singer/songwriters of his generation, and his band the Dukes will join Tejano superstars Los Lobos for a concert at the Sweetland Amphitheatre here Saturday.

Earle was a protege of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, but he quickly found his own voice and became a master storyteller in his own right. His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, The Pretenders, and countless others.

In 1986, Earle released his debut album, "Guitar Town," which shot to No. 1 on the country charts and is now regarded as a classic of the Americana genre. Subsequent releases like "The Revolution Starts ... Now" (2004), "Washington Square Serenade" (2007), and "TOWNES" (2009) received consecutive GRAMMY Awards.

Restlessly creative across artistic disciplines, Earle has published both a novel and collection of short stories; produced albums for other artists such as Joan Baez and Lucinda Williams, and acted in films, television (including David Simon's acclaimed "The Wire"), and on the stage. He currently hosts a radio show for Sirius XM.

In 2009, Earle appeared in the off-Broadway play "Samara," for which he also wrote a score that The New York Times described as "exquisitely subliminal." Recently, Earle wrote music for and appeared in "Coal Country," a riveting public theater play that dives into the most deadly mining disaster in U.S. history. "Ghosts of West Virginia," his 20th studio album, was named as one of "The 50 Best Albums of 2020 So Far" by Rolling Stone.

Earle was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in November 2020.

The journey of Los Lobos began in 1973, as the band earned its stripes playing revved-up versions of Mexican folk music in restaurants and at parties. The band evolved in the 1980s as it tapped into L.A.'s burgeoning punk and college rock scenes. Early on, Los Lobos enjoyed critical success, winning the Grammy for Best Mexican-American Performance for "Anselma" from its 1983 EP "... And a Time to Dance." In 1987, with the release of the Ritchie Valens biopic "La Bamba," the quintet's cover of Valens' signature song topped the charts in the U.S. and the U.K.

Since then, Los Lobos have continued to deliver daring and diverse albums such as "Kiko" (1992), "Colossal Head" (1996), "Good Morning Aztlán" (2002), "The Town and the City" (2006), "Tin Can Trust" (2010) and "Gates of Gold" (2015). On top of that, the band's live shows never disappoint, as documented on the recent concert recordings "Live at the Fillmore" (2005) and "Disconnected in New York City" (2013).

Through the years, Los Lobos have managed to keep things interesting with unexpected side trips like an album of Disney songs in 2009, along with countless contributions to tribute albums and film soundtracks. One of those — "Mariachi Suite" from the 1995 film "Desperado" ­ — earned the band a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

Los Lobos have sold millions of records, won prestigious awards and made fans around the world. But perhaps their most lasting impact will be how well the band's music embodies the idea of America as a cultural melting pot. In it, styles like son jarocho, norteño, Tejano, folk, country, doo-wop, soul, R&B, rock 'n' roll and punk all come together to create a new sound that's greater than the sum of its parts.

SWEETLAND AMPHITHEATRE TICKET PRICES:

Pit — $72.50

Terrace Box — $62.50

Premium Reserved — $52.50

Reserved — $42.50

Lawn — $35.00