Elvis Ate Dynamite

To follow up on Friday’s post about Mavericks’ singer/songwriter Raul Malo, who’s facing a particularly aggressive type of brain cancer, I spent a good part of the weekend watching the livestream of the two tribute concerts at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium that marked the band’s 35 years in the business and Malo’s incredible contributions to country, roots, Latin music, and more. The shows had so many highlights, I really don’t know where to begin.

Well, yes I do. The place to begin is the incredible show of love and support from a fantastic group of artists, including Steve Earle, Marty Stuart, Maggie Rose, Jim Lauderdale, Hector Tellez, Jr., JD McPherson, Rodney Crowell, Jimmie Vaughn, and Jamie Hanna. They, along with CBS News’ Anthony Mason and music executive Scott Borchetta, echoed what many of us have been saying for a long time: The Mavericks are one of the best bands in the world. Their catalogue is unrivaled and their live performances are among the most life-affirming experiences you will ever have. 

When dozens of their peers take the stage and tell you that the Mavericks are that good, you should believe them.

It was also great to see the return of two alumni — original bassist Robert Reynolds, who told a very emotional story about meeting Raul in Miami in the late 1980s, and accordion player Michael Guerra, who dueled Percy Cardona, the Mavericks’ current master of everybody’s favorite polka instrument. (It’s a Chicago thing. You wouldn’t understand.)

Sadly, Raul could not be at the Ryman for these shows. His wife, Betty Malo, posted on social media Friday morning that he was in the hospital, which is not uncommon with stage 4 cancer. Watching the livestream, I sensed that Raul’s absence affected everyone involved, but they still put on two amazing tribute concerts, each about three hours long. 

It’s hard to name the best performances over those two nights. The Mavericks put out so many great songs and so many great artists were on stage cranking them out, every song was the best song. Among my favorites: “Come Unto Me,” a Latin scorcher that’s easily my favorite Mavericks song; “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” originally recorded with Flaco Jimenez on accordion; “Live Close By (Visit Often),” a song Raul co-wrote with K.T. Oslin in 2001 which appears on the Maverick’s latest release, Moon and Stars; “What a Crying Shame”; “O What a Thrill”; “Here Comes the Rain”; “Back in Your Arms Again”; “As Long as There’s Loving Tonight” … see what I mean? Too many to name.

But, if I had to pick one performance that I found particularly moving, it would be this: Hector Tellez, Jr., singing “From Hell to Paradise,” a song Raul wrote about his family escaping tyranny in Cuba. It’s an amazing song with an important message about why so many people come to this country, and it resonates today more than ever.

When Jennifer and I saw the Mavericks in Milwaukee last spring, we wondered how many more times we would get to see them play. Though I don’t want to say this out loud, we both knew that show could have been the last. I will hold out hope that that’s not the case, but life is tenuous and the future is always uncertain.

If that was, in fact, our last Mavericks show, I will never forget how they closed it: with a revved-up cover of the Beatles’ “Back in the USSR.” Sung by a Cuban-American whose family fled Castro.

I think he was trying to tell us something.

Anyway, let’s send all the love and peace and prayers to Raul Malo and his family.

Vaya con Dios, amigo.