Los Lobos swinging through Iowa City’s Englert Theatre on 50th anniversary tour

Steve Berlin still is the new guy in Los Lobos, even though he joined the group in 1982. The seminal East Los Angeles band, which formed in 1973, features its four original members: vocalist/multi-instrumentalist David Hidalgo, vocalist/guitarist Cesar Rosas, bassist Conrad Lozano, drummer Louie Perez, and Berlin, who plays keyboards and saxophone.

Los Lobos is on its 50th anniversary tour, which stops Wednesday at the Englert Theatre, and Berlin has been with the band for 42 of those years. The roots-rockers decided to flesh out their sound in 1982, with a keyboardist, who also can play woodwinds.

“That was a long time ago, and I’m still hanging in there with these guys,” Berlin said while calling from Los Angeles. “I remember what it was like back then. It was such a different time.”

Berlin produced the band’s 1983 release “ ... And a Time to Dance.” He became a member of the band just in time to record “How Will the Wolf Survive,” which enabled the band to catapult onto the college rock charts, thanks to such fiery tunes as “Don’t Worry Baby,” and the album’s moving title track.

“The time was perfect to join the band,” Berlin said. “I knew we had something special.”

“How Will the Wolf Survive” is ranked as the 431st greatest album of all time, according to Rolling Stone. It was the band’s third album, and part of the reason it’s so good is because of the decade of playing wedding receptions, parties and bars.

Los Lobos was a live powerhouse, which played an array of songs by the time “How Will the Wolf Survive” dropped. The songs from that influential album range from the catchy R&B cut “I Got Loaded” to the country-blues ballad “A Matter of Time” and to the traditional Mexican song “Serenata Nortena.”

The band has been wildly diverse throughout its career, and its love of Tex/Mex, folk, country and rock are evident.

“I don’t think there is a band that sounds like us,” Berlin said. “When you hear Los Lobos, you know it’s our band.”

Los Lobos keeps it interesting each night, running with a different set list for each show. The band tosses in some choice covers from recording artists ranging from Elvis Presley to the Sir Douglas Quintet to the Grateful Dead.

“We have so much fun performing live,” Berlin said. “That’s something that has never changed.”

The musicians also enjoy being in the studio. The band has recorded 17 albums and its latest, “Native Sons,” dropped in 2021.

Los Lobos has written its share of terrific original songs, but “Native Sons” is a collection of covers, with one tuned penned by the band. Los Lobos, as fans would expect, put their spin on the songs.

“We’ve always had fun with covers,” Berlin said.

Their biggest hit is their version of Richie Valens’ “La Bamba,” which peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987. It also topped the charts in the United Kingdom and several other countries.

Successful covers don’t guarantee a spot on a set list. Evan Dando, frontman of the Lemonheads, bristled at the thought of including their version of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” in their set. Camper Van Beethoven, which had a minor hit with Status Quo’s “Pictures of Matchstick Men,” preferred not to play the tune during its hey day.

However, Los Lobos usually includes “La Bamba,” and for good measure, drops in a version of Valens’ feel good tune, “Come On, Let’s Go.”

It’s been a fascinating career for Berlin, who has worked with a disparate group of recording artists ranging from John Lee Hooker, to R.E.M. to Sheryl Crow to The Replacements to Leo Kottke.

“It’s been so good to connect with so many incredibly talented musicians,” Berlin said. “I have so many great memories and so much to be thankful for.”