During their tour stop Tuesday (8/2) at Phoenix's Dodge Theater, Los Lonely Boys [ tickets ] recalled the days when all that mattered was a good rapport with the crowd, three-part harmonies and searing guitar.

The trio of Garza brothers shook hands with many members of the audience before playing a note, and took the time to introduce themselves. Guitarist Henry Garza then set the tone for the two-hour set with a Stevie Ray Vaughan-inspired axe intro.

Los Lonely Boys [ tickets ] camped out on stage for two hours and led the way through their self-proclaimed "Texican music," brewed in rural Texas. The heart of the performance was Henry Garza's nimble solos, as well as new material set for an album due out this winter.

After "Crazy Dream," from their self-titled debut album, Los Lonely Boys previewed new songs including the jazz-inflected "Memories" and the somber "My Loneliness." Henry Garza cut through "My Loneliness" with a cover of "Low Rider," punctuated by his harmonica, and the song ended with a frenzied jam session that earned a standing ovation. The sultry guitar parts of "Baby, I'm from Texas" gave the Dodge Theatre a smoky blues-club vibe.

Though Henry Garza is a deft guitarist, the endless stream of solos eventually proved wearisome. "Cottonfields and Crossroads" turned into a seven-minute jam session that dissolved into yet another guitar solo. JoJo Garza appeared irritated as well at one point during the show, appearing to cut one of his brother's solos short.

The concert was also unnecessarily loud. When Henry Garza screamed "How are you doing Phoenix?" as he stepped onstage, it was ear-piercing.

But the Garza brothers were clearly having fun. JoJo Garza slipped a mischievous grin before leading into the crowd favorite "Hollywood," and "Dime Mi Amor" drew out fans to dance in the aisle, much to the chagrin of ushers.

Despite the few excesses, the performance showed that Los Lonely Boys are worthy of their Grammy nominations.

Opening the show was the hip-hop infused Latin tour-de-force Ozomatli. The nine-piece band instantly won over the audience, many of whom were clearly already fans. The group lived up to its reputation as the "United Nations" of music with its genre-bending sound. A hip-hop song effortlessly segued into an Indian jam session, for example.

The humor was top-notch. Bassist Wil-Dog Abers told the crowd, "We met Los Lonely Boys in jail in Texas. Oh wait, those were other lonely boys. My bad."