We arrived early and witnessed several very disappointed fans being turned down for tickets for the sold-out Mavericks’ performance. I hope they don’t read this, because they will only be more disappointed that they missed a monumental show.

From the first two songs, women of a certain age gathered on either side of the stage to hear the greatest country-Latin-influenced garage band on the planet. Raul Malo, whose phrasing may have improved but whose voice hasn’t changed a whisper in the 25 years he’s been fronting the group, led the five-piece band, which was augmented by trumpet, sax, accordion and a whole lotta energy. From the outset, ten or so women of a certain age stood at stage left and right, dancing. By song six, half of the seats were empty, and remained so for another two hours as people danced by the stage and in the aisles.

From their version of “La Bamba” to “As Long As There’s Loving Tonight” to my fave, “Come Unto Me,” this band rocks with incredible energy and flawless musicianship. Malo unquestionably has one of the best voices—ever—and plays a mean guitar, but his bandmates Jerry Dale McFadden on piano and fancy footwork and flamboyant guitarist Eddie Perez really keep the momentum going at Mach 2, even throughout a very long performance.

An hour in, the band left the stage and Malo returned solo with an acoustic guitar for a few songs before the band returned. During one acoustic number a woman passed by the stage and left a bouquet of flowers by his feet. Malo stopped playing. “Hey, wait!” he called, as she walked away, “That song’s not that important.” He pulled her back and chatted with the woman and the audience a bit before thanking everyone and resuming where he’d left off.

The Mavericks are in their 25th year (with a hiatus), and there’s enough catalogue there to keep the night interesting (“Oh What a Cryin’ Shame,” “Boogie Shoes” and Dream River,” they’re all there). Albert Einstein described the Theory of Relativity as “Two minutes sitting on a hot stove feels like two hours, but two hours sitting with a pretty girl can feel like two minutes.” Relatively speaking, I’d have sworn the Mavericks played two minutes.

– Suzanne Cadgene