The 1985 edition of Summerfest had just passed its midpoint when Milwaukee music fans were formally introduced to Los Lobos.

The band -- which had been thrilling audiences in East Los Angeles and beyond for more than a decade with its mix of blues-tinged rock, country, Tex-Mex, folk, R&B and even polka -- ambled onto the Old Style Country Stage on a warm Wednesday night and blasted through a scorching 25-song set that drew from the breakthrough album of the previous year "How Will the Wolf Survive?"

The crowd was blown away. So were Summerfest officials, who booked Los Lobos for two nights the following year.

A bond was formed; a relationship was forged.

During a musical journey that could one day lead to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the band made several memorable stops in Milwaukee.

There was an unforgettable show with Soul Asylum at the UWM Union Ballroom in 1987, the year the band topped the charts with the "La Bamba" soundtrack and created its own waves with "By The Light of The Moon." There was an acoustic show at the Pabst Theater in the mid '90s. There were numerous stops at Summerfest, including a truncated set in 1993 (the band's flight was delayed) and an opening slot for the Dave Matthews Band on opening night in 1997.

Through the years and the bands experimental phases, Milwaukee music lovers have turned out to see David Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas, Louie Perez, Conrad Lozano and Steve Berlin (along with percussionist Cougar Estrada).

They'll get another chance Thursday night, when Los Lobos plays a show at the Northern Lights Theater inside Potawatomi Casino.

Though technically still touring in support of "The Town and the City" -- a critically acclaimed and largely commercially ignored disc that explores themes of hopes, dreams and the contrast between life in close-knit communities (like East L.A.) and big cities (like Los Angeles) -- Los Lobos is, as usual, about to head in another direction.

Unhappy with the way Hollywood Records promoted "The Town and The City," the band intends to start its own label and explore new methods of distribution.

At the end of October, the band will join forces with another veteran artist, John Mellencamp, for a lengthy tour. Mellencamp also has been frustrated by a lack of label support / radio exposure and is hitting the road to rally his base of fans and create awareness by playing live.

Though not populated by dynamic showmen, Los Lobos connects in concert because of its superior musicianship and the comfort created over more than 30 years of playing live shows together. For years, Los Lobos toured with the Grateful Dead and some of those lessons rubbed off. The set lists are loose (there is a "Request A Song" link on the band's Web site and can shift from Mexican standard to raucous cover songs and back.

"We defied all the stereotypes and what is expected from a band from East L.A.," Perez said in a recent interview with a Michigan newspaper.

"We've shattered all those myths and redefined a lot of those stereotypes. If all this ended tomorrow, I'd have a lot of pride in what I've accomplished on a lot of levels."