X, Los Lobos, & Ozomatli celebrate 99 years of rock at OC Fair

The Pacific Amphitheatre was ablaze with nostalgia on August 3rd, as three legendary Los Angeles bands — X, Los Lobos, and Ozomatli — joined forces for the 99 Years of Rock ‘N Roll Tour. It was also part of the Orange County Fair’s Summer Concert Series. It wasn’t just a concert; it was a cultural summit: a celebration of genre-bending, border-blurring, and time-defying music that’s shaped the soul of Southern California.

Ozomatli kicked off the night with their signature fusion of funk, hip hop, cumbia, and jazz.

The band turned the amphitheater into a dance floor before the sun had even set! Ozomatli‘s set is a rhythmic whirlwind of horns blaring, percussion popping, and MCs trading verses like street poets on fire. And Ozomatli doesn’t just play music — they embody movement, activism, and joy. From the barrio to global stage, they’ve never lost their pulse.

Next up, Los Lobos took the stage like elder statesmen of Chicano rock, wielding decades of musical mastery with effortless grace. Their set was a masterclass in roots revival, weaving Tex-Mex, blues, and rock into a tapestry that had the crowd singing along to every word. “La Bamba” was, of course, the communal climax although it was the deeper cuts and soulful jams that reminded everyone why Los Lobos remains one of America’s most vital and versatile bands.

Closing out the night was X, punk pioneers who helped define LA’s underground scene in the late ’70s and early ’80s.

Naturally, the song “Los Angeles” hit like a fist to the chest with their “Sex and Dying in High Society” dripping with noir decadence and their cover of Otis Blackwell’s “Breathless” was a swaggering nod to rock’s primal roots. By the time X closed with “Soul Kitchen”, the crowd was drenched in sweat and satisfaction.

As the final chords rang out and the crowd spilled into the fairgrounds, you could tell everyone was stoked on how three bands, spanning three generations, was able to witnessed in one night. The 99 Years of Rock ‘N Roll Tour is a living archive and Costa Mesa got a front-row seat!

Photography by Sean McCracken

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