Never Dull at Nacho Daddy’s Open Mic

Tribute Tuesday, upriver in Paso Guayabo, starred ABBA and all their greatest hits. Canadians Amberley Beatty and Kara Promise, each one an international touring tribute artist star, joined together for the first time here in Mexico with this ABBA show. The vocals were pure, fun, and joyous. It was impossible to sit still with the tremendous energy of these two veteran entertainers pouring into the audience. The dancing horse appeared again and is a scene stealer, to be sure! I watched all the cell phones divert from stage to horse and rider like an orchestrated prompt. The ABBA girls didn’t seem to mind, and at one point, Kara and the horse were in a tentative pas de deux. The horse show is a bonus and worth the price of admission. I can’t wait to see what he does next Tribute Tuesday with The Eagles harmonies! Oh, and do try Chef Hollis’s potato chips. They are handmade and fabulous.

I jumped on the #4 bus and was in my seat by 7:30 for the start of Open Mic at Nacho Daddy. Richard Lucas hosted the show for RISE and left his alter ego, Gouda Gabor, pouting at home. Brilliant pianist Mark Hartman accompanied nearly everyone on the extensive roster, including famous Mexican tenor Enrique de Allende, who will have one performance only this season, his fifth annual Valentine’s Day Gala at Palo Maria. You can get tickets at Cassandra Shaw Jewelers on Basilio Badillo.

Angeloo was his usual adorable 11-year-old self singing Adele; see more of him every Wednesday at 8 pm at La Catrina Cantina; singer Nia precedes him at 6:30 tonight. Patriz and Delilah gave us a taste of their ongoing shows at Act2PV. Gabe Arciniega continues to wonderfully recreate himself vocally and bluesily, accompanied by Aldo Parra Jaime on guitar. A couple of spoken-word entrants, a new guitarist singing his own music, New York City cabaret star Shanna Sharp just flew in from Belgrade and will sing with Natalie Douglas this week at the Casa Karma Red Room. Amy Armstrong stars in Leading Ladies on January 27th at Nacho Daddy and gave us a touch of Cabaret with Money Makes the World Go Around, and there were more. Come Blow Your Horn… Open Mic can be the best show in town; it is certainly never dull with a continuous feed of the finest musicians in the city, and only Lydia Damato knows for sure who will be up next.

Scrabble today at 12:30 at Qulture, then I am meeting up with Mexico City/New York City stand-up comedian Keenan Steiner, who has been missing in action from Vallarta for years. Catch him at Anonimo Video Bar, on Thursday at 8 pm.