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There are three big concerts at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium on three consecutive days this weekend.

By RAY ROUTHIER Staff Writer October 15, 2009

Friday: When Los Lonely Boys scored a massive radio hit with "Heaven" in 2004, it didn't take long for Jojo Garza and his two brothers to get a little tired of being called "an overnight success."

"We heard things like 'these guys came out of nowhere,' but we've been helping to pay the bills with our singing since we were about 6 or 7 years old," said Garza, 29, during a recent phone interview. "I can remember Ringo (one of his brothers in the band) coming up with the name when he was 6 or 7."

Garza thinks the band's name might have come from the fact that their father, a popular Tex-Mex musician in western Texas, had written a song for them called "I'm Just a Lonely Boy."

Garza and his brothers -- Ringo and Henry -- started performing around their hometown of San Angelo, Texas. Although they were influenced by regional and Spanish-language music, their father also got them interested in old-time rock 'n' roll and country.

In fact, the band is slated to release an EP this fall called "1969" that features covers from that historic year in rock history, including "Roadhouse Blues" by the Doors, "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" by the Beatles and "Well All Right" by Blind Faith.

The brothers had tried to make it on the music scene in Nashville for a while in the 1990s, but didn't strike it big until moving back to Texas and recording songs at Willie Nelson's studio in Austin in 2003.

From those sessions came "Heaven, " with its easy groove and brotherly harmonies. Not to mention a little bit of the brothers' spirituality.

"We're very proud of being from Texas, of our last names, and of our faith," Garza said.

The song earned a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with vocal.

In two albums since, the brothers have yet to repeat that success, but have built a loyal following and tour regularly. They also participate in high-profile projects, such as recording John Lennon's "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" for an Amnesty International campaign in 2007.

Garza said the only things that have really changed in his daily live because of the success of "Heaven" is that the brothers travel more and have "a lot more people" involved in everything they do.

Plus, they got to pay back their father for getting them started.

"We got him a motor home, and he's always going someplace with that thing," Garza said.

Saturday: Emmylou Harris is one of those rare performers who pays fairly close attention to the places she plays.Most performers will tell you they see the airport, the bus and the venue, but have little time or energy to explore the venue's surroundings.But Harris -- who has been touring since she was discovered by former Byrds member Chris Hillman in 1971 in a Washington, D.C., club -- takes the time to see the sights."Portland is one of my favorite towns. The shops, the cobblestone streets, the closeness to the water," said Harris, 62, during a recent phone interview. "It's just the way a town should be."She even knows Maine's state slogan, apparently.Powers of observation and attention to detail have seemed to play big parts in Harris' success over her long career. Her songwriting is lauded as insightful and relatable. Her ability to sing anyone's kind of music and adapt to anyone's arrangement has made her in constant demand to sing on other people's albums.It's at the point now where she actually has to turn people down."I only have so much time at home, and recently I decided to do an experiment and turn everything down for three months," Harris said. "It worked out pretty well; I was able to be home and write."She's recorded with artists ranging from Ryan Adams, Beck and Elvis Costello to Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Tammy Wynette. She's recorded more than 25 solo records, and said she's never counted how many other people's albums she's been on.Harris tours with other folks too....