2004-05-03 8:26 a.m.
Mariachi Smackdown
S., A., TheBoy and I were all in a Mexican restaurant in Fruitvale this weekend. The restaurant is large and L-shaped, and various vendors and entertainers from the neighborhood pass through in the course of an evening. A mariachi band came in, unpacked their instruments by the door and were all set to start playing when they heard another mariachi band start playing in the back of the restaurant.
To my profound disappointment, after the initial look of annoyance crossed the latecomers' faces, none of the following happened:
- Both bands dropped their instruments, strutted towards the
middle of the restaurant while singing and snapping their fingers, and
then had a dance-off. Si eres un Jet no se rien de ti...
- They started playing Dueling Guitarrones.
- One of them jumped up on top of the bar and started dancing. When he saw the rival band of mariachis, he picked up his guitar case and sprayed them with gunfire.
OK, that last one might have been suboptimal, but if he'd looked like Antonio Banderas I might not have minded.
Any East Bay mariachis who would like to improve their movie education are welcome to come by my place. I'll even spring for the rental fees. All I ask in return is that they leave their instruments at home.