The world’s one and only heavy metal mariachi band is heading to Tucson.
Never heard of Metalachi?
Here’s a primer:
- The sound: Imagine scorching guitar licks fused with mariachi-accented trumpets and the percussive glory of the Mexican guitarrón. Instead of playing classic mariachi tunes with the complement of a full horn section and colorfully-costumed dancers, they play Queen’s ubiquitous “Bohemian Rhapsody,” adding trumpets and violin for the mariachi accents. You’re also likely to hear: Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take This,” Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” Slayer’s “Raining Blood,” Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher,” Poison’s “Talk Dirty to Me” and Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle.”
- The look: Instead of the classic mariachi suits — black pants with metal buttons down the sides, a short suitcoat and tie for the men; colorful wide-skirt dress for the lone woman in the band — the men wear wildly printed spandex, wide brimmed sombreros, Chuck Taylor Converse or Doc Martens boots and, for one or two of them, heavy makeup in the style of 1970s-’80s glam rockers Paul Stanley and Dee Snyder. The lone female member — “Queen” Kyla Vera on electric violin — has flowing purple hair and rocks a bandanna and a nose ring.
- The experience: One contributor to Goldstar.com, a social media site for concertgoers to post their reviews, described Metalachi as “Landing somewhere between the legendary Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán and Metallica”; and weirdestbandintheworld.com gushed “sweet Jesus (pronounced “Hey-Seuss”) does Metalachi put on a show.”
They’ll be putting on a 21-and-older show for Tucson at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 15, in the plaza at Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Tickets are $15 at the door or in advance through hotelcongress.com.
