Puppies, Prizes and Rock ’n’ Roll
Santi’s Place brought in a couple of adorable puppies for adoption at last Friday’s ‘Game On with Christian’ at La Catrina Cantina. Santiago himself was there alongside volunteer David Smith, keeping the two rescue dogs more or less contained on the patio. A Jeopardy/Trivia game packed the upstairs bar on Lazaro Cardenas with about a dozen teams vying for over 30k in prizes. This game show concept has been gaining popularity every other week at La CC, next up on November 14. Teams gather at 4:30, and the show starts at 5 pm. Our Scrabble Team is patiently waiting in the wings for a chance to compete!
Tonny Kenneth‘s show that followed was super special as Tonny’s family was visiting from Panama. They all received ecstatic hugs after every song; he was so happy to be performing for them. And us! Don’t miss Tonny’s show, upcoming this Saturday at 7 pm, at Coco Cabaret, titled ‘Rock the Opera.’
One of last year’s surprise hits of the season at The Palm Cabaret was a tribute to Bruce Springsteen with Mau Jimenez. This season’s iteration is even better with the ‘Olas Altas Street Band’ (forget E-Street!), comprised of Edgar Bernache on keys, Paul Lions, guitar, Hamlet CV, drums, Jared Garcia, bass guitar, and fine saxophonist Oscar Terrazas.
All of your favorite songs are here to sing along with or dance in the aisles. Give it your best ‘Courtney Cox’ and you may end up dancing with The Boss himself onstage.
”Who’s the Boss” also stars two beautiful roadies – Eva Jimenez, LOVA co-producer of the show, baby sister of Mau, and superstar of the Pink Tribute at Coco Cabaret, and their big brother, Alejandro Balderas, who filmed the entire show and streamed it live.
I was struck by the outflow of loving chit-chat from Mau between songs. Here is Mau, a Mexican singing Vietnam War Veteran protest songs, the smash hit ‘Born in the USA,’ far, far removed in age and space from that terrible phase of American history, but focusing on the now, this moment of celebrating the music of a US icon in a Puerto Vallarta Cabaret, with a captivated NAFTA-fueled house. Mexicans, Canadians, and Americans predominantly comprise the audiences at The Palm. Mau said at one point, ”Music is love.” That is all there is.
‘Who’s the Boss’ is a kick-ass rock and roll show from the first note to the standing ovation at the end. If Bruce Springsteen were ever in the audience at The Palm, he would be the first on his feet, cheering, and wishing his voice were as good as Mau’s. And, if you’re, like me, not particularly a Bruce Springsteen fan, you will still hum an unforgettable hit or two and smile all the way home. An irrepressible and loving tribute – bravos to all involved.
Birthday number 74 is in the can. I want to thank everybody who hit the send button on the automatic Facebook birthday reminder, as well as those who sent personal messages, and everyone I didn’t know at Il Pesce. last night, who sang ‘Happy Birthday’ loud enough to be heard in Tepic.