Review: For Los Lonely Boys, music is 'a family thing'

'What we do is a family thing," bassist Jojo Garza said near the end of a splendid set by Los Lonely Boys at Havana in New Hope on Saturday night.

Family is the signature of this "Texican" power-trio. In addition to Jojo on bass, brother Henry, in his dark glasses and ponytail, is a god on guitar; brother Ringo Jr. completes the holy trinity on drums. They are a second-generation family band - father Ringo Sr. played for years with up to seven siblings in the Falcones.

Family is power, and Los Lonely Boys shook Havana to its merry foundations.

Family is where you're from, and this band's Texas-Nashville-all-round-the-world odyssey is stamped on every note. They are Americana because they are Mexican from Texas.

Family is also controlled chaos - especially, in this set, a fabulous last-half jam.

And family equals tight. A place like Havana is probably the ideal venue in which to hear them. They rock a small house, mixing genres - classic rock, Tex-Mex, blues, jacking you from cumbia to funk to pop - with ever a trace of smoky-aired roadhouse.

Fond of dynamics and contrast, they began with "Blame It on Love," a song with conjunto and Tejano flavors and blues-rock guts from their 2014 album Revelation. Henry, now fully knit after a horrendous stage fall in 2013 nearly killed him, delighted the warm, older crowd with breathtaking guitar work that channeled but did not copy his idols Hendrix, Santana, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The brothers' exact three-part harmonies reminded you of all the sonic looks they present. The rideout had whiffs of dance hall.

Then they zigged right into "So Sensual," a pop tune with mid-Texas lightness (they do like pop love songs) and some elements of Motown. From there they zagged to the gargantuan blues of "Cottonfields and Crossroads," redolent with San Angelo. Live is best for Los Lonely Boys: Their recordings seldom capture how truly, deliciously heavy they can be. They also got a full trio sound, Henry riffing madly, Jojo chording way up on the bass neck, and Ringo filling the room with commanding flails.

"Oye Mamacita," from their fine 2006 album Sacred, continued to twine Mexican elements with classic and roots rock. The show's second half just got heavier, with the great Vaughan-inspired "Crazy Dream." They ended with their Grammy-winning breakout "Heaven." "How far is heaven?" they sang. On this night, not too far.

jt@phillynews.com

215-854-4406@jtimpane