El Vez Does Downtown

El Vez at Grand Performances showing the crowd how to low-ride through political commentary with style.

El Vez, aka Robert Lopez, mixed his August 18 "tribute to the king"  with a 2nd act that kicked off  his El Vez for Prez Tour that will give the 2008 election a polished mock-the- vote platform, Vegas style.  Calls to ending industrial production being shipped to China, using more Mexican-Americans as a work force (with the inarguable logic that  they are already here), the end of police brutality, were mixed with observations that young Latinos are embedded in technology and creating music while  "uh..downloading a lot of other  things,"  the effect of East LA in modern culture––all of it opening with a shout-out to audience member, Huell Howser.

The Memphis Mariachis and the three legs of the Lovely Elvettes (one injured herself that day) had their own chance to shine during the many costume changes that included  El Vez dressed as a pinata meeting LAPD (You can guess where that went).   While as red-leathered devil,  George Bush was declared the real El Cucuy, the Latino version of "The bogey man, and even the proud vanity of El Vez  was parodied when a impersonator from the El Vez School of Elvis impersonators crossed the gender border to be the female  El Vez. Frankly, it didn't matter that in her debut, she didn't sing a note.

Despite some hesitancy during new soliloquies, the 20 years of El Vez still extends the traditions of Mexican political and social satire with unfettered commentary. At the idealistic end, notes on issues gives even more weight to music by The Doors, The King, David Bowie and Kim Wilde, among others. At the very least, the mid-season add to the 2007 Grand Performances summer schedule was a  low-rider cruise through the streets of rock and roll culture––and that in itself was enough for a great evening.

More pics to be linked later.

Bottom:  El Vez with tiger outfit (complete with tail)  takes a solemn moment at the Water Court Plaza. Photos/ViewFromaLoft

Comments

[cindylu]

I'm sad I missed this. El Vez is gonna be in the upcoming issue of Puro Pedo Magazine, a Chicano satire magazine I help out with (but don't really write for since I'm not that funny).

[e@v]

What are ya talkin' about? You're funny!

[urban memo]

damn damn damn! i missed it!

*sigh*

i partly live vicariously through you.

[chimatli]

My uncle said El Vez performed at Rio Hondo College for some Mother's Day thing where people brought their abuelitas and stuff to see him. The viejitas were so offended (unprepared?) by his act, they left in droves during the middle of his performance.
Whittier: the land of fuddy-duddies.

[e@v]

You can bet the abuelitas were more offended by the non-traditional Elvis tribute than anything else.

[Daniel H.]

Missed it. Chet. Saw him a while back with Astrid Hadad at Royce at UCLA... It was a big, bad-ass show.