Los Lobos at the Minnesota State Fair (August 25, 2025)

Monday was Senior’s Day at the Minnesota State Fair, and there was no better band to play for this demographic than a group of guys that have been together for over fifty years. But that was later and there was still much to do.

10:00 – Used a kiosk to buy my entry ticket. Someone asked an attendant how the machine knows if you are old enough to qualify for the discounted senior ticket. She replied, “This is Minnesota. We trust you.”

10:30 – Got in line at the Lutheran Church Dining Hall for a cup of Swedish Egg Coffee. The line was long, but not nearly as long as the one for Peach’s Baking Company, which snaked for two blocks.

10:58 – Spotted my first weighted vest. The guy wearing it was over 6’ 3” and drinking a beer.

11:00 – Was set for the Minnesota Polka Dancers at the Cosgrove Stage, but confused when a group, dressed in American flags, started dancing to Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister.” Sheer panic grabbed me for I thought I researched the wrong day and the band I had come to see had already flown back to L.A.

Luckily, no such oversight. The Royal Sil-O-Etes Cloggers were a last-minute substitute, and instead of Mazurka and Polonaise dances, women and men in clogs danced to Alabama’s “Elvira” and Bob Seeger’s “Old Time Rock & Roll.”

12:18 – A group of preteen girls in sequined leotards walked past me and down Underwood Street. Unusual in a normal sense, but normal in a fair sense.

12:30 – U.S. Navy Band Country Current at the West End Market Stage: The Navy is celebrating 250 years of service and 100 years of playing music. They currently have six bands that provide support for presidential events as well as funerals at Arlington Cemetery. The navy band that arrived at the fair was all country with no brass instruments. They kicked off with Patty Loveless’ “Blame It on Your Lyin’ Cheatin’ Heart” before moving onto “Jackson.” Then, a bluegrass instrumental “Red Fox Run” that featured the banjo before moving onto Merle Haggard’s “Big City.”

Sally Ziesing on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, said the band would love to meet everyone after the show, but asked everyone to keep an arms distance, considering the band’s formal whites and the amount of ketchup consumed on a regular day at the fair.

1:26 – Saw my favorite T-Shirt, green with four bolded words: LETTUCE TURNIP THE BEET.

2:00 – All-Star Stunt Dogs Splash at the North Woods Stage: Five million dogs are sent to the pound every year with only two million adopted. The people that run the All-Star Stunt Dogs Splash show are doing their part for all their dogs are rescue animals that are pets first and performers second. I also learned that a collie-whippet is built to fly into the air if there is a frisbee to be caught.

3:00 – Timberworks Lumberjack Show at the North Woods Stage: Two Lumberjacks and two LumberJills competed in events that were once needed skills when raw lumber was needed and the Navy was still in its infancy. Some of the events: logrolling, pole climbing, axe throwing and sawing.

3:45 – Talking Dreads at the Bandshell: Have you ever said to yourself, “I really like David Byrne’s music, but I wonder if it would sound better with a reggae beat.” Well, the question was answered as the Talking Dreads took the stage at the Bandshell to a Calypso version of Feliz Navidad. (Why not!)

“I didn’t leave Jamaica to see you sit,” said the bandleader, Mystic Bowie (legendary vocalist with Tom Tom Club). And the crowd responded by closing in to dance to the reimagined music of “Once in a Lifetime” and “Wild Wild Life.” I was hoping for an ambitious attempt at “The Great Curve” but “This Must Be the Place” seemed to fit the reggae vibe.

4:30 – Intoxicats at the Summit Stage: How best to describe this band? Here are some adjectives: retro, haunting, cool, ironic…

The Intoxicats describe themselves on their website as: “Picture Gilligan’s Island with access to MTV, Get Smart, Hawaii 5-0 and I Dream of Jeannie re-runs, coupled with an unlimited bar tab.”

That’s a lot, and yet it was all so laid back as they riffed on classic songs like Blondie’s “Rapture” and The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage.” And as I listened to them sing Devo’s “Girl U Want” I kept on looking at the drummer for he looked familiar. And the reason he looked familiar is because I saw him playing with his brother in another band in July.

5:10 – I begin to fade. I wanted to get something to eat, but the food lines rivaled the ones found at airport check-ins. So I ordered a cold press coffee float to tide me over. It was a poor man’s affogato and the first few sips were not favorable.

5:36 – The caffeine and sugar finally surged through my body. I felt renewed, refreshed and revised my prior thoughts on the drink.

6:00 – Wild Horses at the West End Market Stage: “Thanks for sticking around,” said the lead singer, Jed LaPlant, to the gathering crowd. I was a little confused, but then he added that some in the crowd had been to the 5:00 show.

Jed was joined by his wife, Ariana on keys and fiddle, and Landon Pahl on bass. The trio is from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and they sang quiet, introspective songs about rural America, revealing a charisma of a seasoned rock band.

Wild Horses may be new with a debut album, Runaway from 2022, but they seemed poised for greener pastures. I don’t know how far they will go, but I do know they had people in the crowd gushing and sticking around, and some of the new fans qualified for the senior discount.

7:30 – Finally got dinner: a Manny’s Cubano and a Leinie’s Honey Weiss. It was $15.00 and it was worth the wait.

8:30 – Los Lobos at the Bandshell: The concert tee in front of me said Los Lobos was established in East L.A. in 1973. One of their first scheduled 50th Anniversary tour dates outside of sunny CA was First Ave in the middle of December. It made sense. There is much love in MN for Los Lobos. Legendary concert promoter, Sue McLean, adored the band and constantly booked them over the years, one of their last at the MN Zoo with Los Lonely Boys on a perfect summer night.

Not only have Los Lobos been playing for over fifty years, they still have their original members:

Louie didn’t make the trip, and was replaced by Alfredo Ortiz, who seemed to ignite the band with his muscular drumming. Los Lobos plays a lot of different forms of music, but what they do best is play loud, hard-charging rock. In fact, they didn’t have to encourage anyone to dance in front of the stage. And for a ninety-minute set, a lot of people did just that to songs that encompassed their complete seventeen album discography.

It was a perfect night for great music. A joyful night, even if David had technical difficulties in the middle of a blistering guitar solo on “Wicked Rain.” Cesar filled the extended lapse with “How about them corn dogs?” before picking up the baton and finishing the solo with his own axe.

Cesar commented that the MN State Fair was their favorite place to play. It may have been hyperbole, but what was not overstated was the applause they received after their set. It was full, extended and loud. The band was appreciative and lingered after the encore. Caesar even said, “See you tomorrow. We’ll get some hotdogs!”