El Vez Spices Up The Holidays

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 12, 2012 7:20PM

If you are unfamiliar with El Vez, an Elvis impersonator with a twist, tonight is an excellent chance to get to know the guy. He's coming through town on his Merry MexMas tour, a mixture of bawdy carols and his sexy back-up dancer and singer the El Vettes bringing holiday cheer to you and you and you.

We've seen this distinctive variety show in years past and each time it delivers the laughs. But it also has at its heart a true celebration of the season, and it's this warm core that keeps the proceeding from veering into a nasty seasonal satire. It is possible to poke fun at the holidays without hating on them, and El Vez does just. By the end of the show you're going to want to jump on stage to sing and dance along.

El Vez, a.k.a. Robert Lopez, has been kicking around the international (though mostly L.A.) music scene since the late '80s but his act has never grown tired. While the MexMas show is obviously geared towards the holidays, he performs throughout the year and all of his shows feature his signature rewrites of Elvis Presley songs and a seriously playful platform, though his message can at times be serious and occasionally delves into the political. The thing you take away from any El Vez show is that while you may often laugh at his songs, and blush at the antics of the El Vettes, this is serious entertainment.

Tonight, December 12, at Double Door, 1565 N Milwauke, 8 p.m., $12-15, 21+