Calexico with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra

Joey Burns and John Convertino with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra
(photo courtesy of Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star)

One of the best bands to come out of Tucson, Calexico, played on January 13 at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. It was sort of a "make-up" performance as they were supposed to perform with the orchestra in 2012 but had to cancel. But they made good on their promise this weekend with a very entertaining performance. 

Joey Burns (guitar/vocals) and John Convertino (drums) were joined for this performance by Brian Lopez (guitar), Sergio Mendoza (piano), Jacob Valenzuela (trumpet, vocals), Scott Colbert (bass) and Rick Peron (trumpet). 

We were seated in the back, under the balcony, which I think contributed to a muddiness in the vocals, but overall the sound was good and I was pleased that this was a Calexico concert first, with the symphony playing a supporting role, and not the other way around. It was a "greatest hits" show and the symphonic contributions were really beautiful in they way they supported the music. I'm sorry that I'm not familiar enough with their songs to provide the entire set list here, but highlights for me were "Crystal Frontier" and "Guero Canelo". If you ever get the chance, be sure to check out Calexico in concert.

Calexico with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra