Few bands have soundtracked life quite like WAR.
Fusing funk, soul, jazz, Latin rhythms, rock and streetwise storytelling, the Southern California group formed in 1969 has spent more than five decades confronting racism, gangs and crime while spreading a message of harmony and brotherhood.
Songs such as “Spill the Wine,” “Low Rider,” “The Cisco Kid” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” remain staples of the American songbook, while the band’s diverse catalog has yielded 20 gold, platinum and multi-platinum records.
This year, WAR celebrates the 50th anniversary of its 1976 album “Greatest Hits” with a tour that brings its signature blend of infectious grooves and socially conscious songwriting to the Belly Up on Saturday, promising a set of familiar favorites and a few surprises.
Leading up to the show, WAR founding member, lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Leroy “Lonnie” Jordan, 77, spoke with Times of San Diego about his local roots, the unlikely inspiration behind some of the band’s most enduring songs and what lies ahead.
WAR has deep roots in Southern California, and you were born in San Diego. What do you remember about your earliest days here, and what does it mean to perform for audiences in the place where your story began?
I was born in San Diego, but I grew up in Compton. Straight into Compton, not outta. Then I went straight outta Compton to Hollywood. I do try to make a point to come back to San Diego to perform, though. It’s always great to get to perform in the place that was part of where I was born and grew up.
This tour celebrates the 50th anniversary of your “Greatest Hits” album. Looking back on 1976, what do you remember most vividly, and how do you feel knowing those songs still resonate with audiences half a century later?
The ’70s were kind of cloudy. I did a lot of touring and recording up to that point. We did do something a little different with this album, though. Even though it was a compilation of our greatest hits, we included one brand-new song, “Summer,” on the album.
And I am honored by the fact that the songs still resonate all these years later. I didn’t know they would resonate with anyone in the ’70s. I am grateful to my rock ’n’ roll hall of fans. They are the reason I am still here.
WAR’s sound blends funk, soul, jazz, Latin rhythms, rock and other influences. How did that distinctive musical DNA develop in the early days, and what do you think makes a WAR groove instantly recognizable?
Well, each member of the band brought their own influences. We were like a big mixed salad bowl or like gumbo. And when you mix those influences up, you get WAR.
“Why Can’t We Be Friends?” was written during a deeply divided period in American history. With so much division today, what goes through your mind when you perform it now? Has the song taken on a different meaning for you over the years?
Well, the inspiration for that song came from a time when we were in Japan. We were going to play a concert, but we had to hold because there was a fight going on in the audience. We all just started chanting ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’ and then, all of a sudden, we had another song.
And that’s the thing about our music. We were just singing about what was going on around us, but those themes happen everywhere. Our music is street music, but with the way it has traveled the world, it is kind of universal street music.
“Low Rider” has become a cultural anthem, particularly in Southern California, where lowrider culture and the song are practically inseparable. What inspired the track, and what does it mean to see a song you helped create become so deeply woven into our cultural fabric?
Charles Miller, our saxophone player, was the one who came up with the theme for that song. We had a groove that we had been working on in the studio. Charles came in after driving up in his brand new low-rider car, and the way the song developed was like magic.
Your music has always had a strong improvisational element, with grooves that can take on a life of their own onstage. At your Belly Up gig, will you be playing the “Greatest Hits”album in its entirety, or will you be mixing things up?
You still will never see the same show twice, even today. I tell my band all the time not to think and just play. And as far as what you will see, it’s what I like to call the WAR Hit List. It is definitely the “Greatest Hits” album, although maybe not in the same order as on the record. And we will definitely include other songs, but all ones that the fans know and want to hear.
WAR has several upcoming projects this fall, including a special London listening event for “The World Is a Ghetto” on Nov. 7 and a Record Store Day vinyl release of “(Yes, It’s) Christmas” on Nov. 27. What do you hope projects like these accomplish, particularly when it comes to introducing WAR’s music to a new generation?
I never know what to expect. I am grateful to still be doing this all these years later and that our fans are still listening to the songs and coming to my shows. They put us here, and they can take us out. Our Christmas song, “(Yes, It’s) Christmas,” which was a take on the song “Summer,” was a way for us to write our own Christmas song our way.
Is WAR working on new original music or any other recording projects with the current lineup? What can fans look forward to in 2027?
We are working on new music, but that is about all I can say about that. I also will be continuing to tour, not only in the U.S. but worldwide. I have been to the U.K. the past couple of years and was recently in Portugal, which was really a great experience. But in the more immediate future, I can’t wait to perform at the Belly Up again. And for anyone coming to that show, the stage is gonna be smokin’.
Donovan Roche is a longtime music writer and regular contributor to Times of San Diego.
