PITTSBURGH — Among the more unlikely pairings to emerge in the last decade is the meeting of a British power-pop icon with a masked American surf-rock band.
Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets, who play the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival on Friday, first met when the British rocker — renowned for his work, going back to 1970 in Brinsley Schwarz, Rockpile and as a solo artist/producer — was producing for The Mavericks in the mid-'90s and they went to see the Nashville instrumental quartet.
In 2012, they crossed paths again, at the concerts celebrating the 15th anniversary of their shared label, Yep Roc. Then, in late 2014, Lowe recruited Los Straitjackets for a tour supporting his holiday album, "Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family."
