One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Photos: The Punk, Sexy Lucha Va Voom Rings In Cinco De Mayo [NSFW]
By Lina Lecaro
The Mayan theatre saw an extra caliente pre-Cinco de Mayo celebration last night, as Lucha Va Voom—the wild meld of Mexican Wrestling and burlesque—brought its bodacious spectacle back to the famed theatre for the Mexican holiday. The show, created by former Velvet Hammer babe Rita D’Albert and Liz Fairbairn, has been showcasing high-energy stomping and stripping for 10 years now.
It’s a veritable L.A. institution, popular with wrestling fans and burlesque fans, male and female, thanks to a raucous, punky sensibility, elaborate glittering costumes and hilarious commentary during both the matches the sexy vignettes (last night’s show by Blaine Capatch and Selene Luna). A cool meld of rock n’ roll and Mexican folklorico sounds fuel the fun too, as does the margarita-heavy menu.
Lucha’s Valentines Day show last February featured a special performance by naughty electro-tart Peaches, and the Cinco show—happening again tonight—is equally outrageous. Aerial performances by Veronica Yune and the Wau Wau Sisters, a Quinceañera-themed hoop dance by the alluringly androgynous Karis, a sexy 70s strip by Lux LcCroix and mucho mas make for non-stop excitement, as the show itself touts non-stop “sexo y violencia!”
The wrestlers get-ups and antics nearly rival the dancers: in addition to the traditional Lucha masks, each wrestler has his own persona and pin-up-ish ring girl, with everything from gangsters to pretty boys, draggy dudes to chickens and little people represented. One little masked wrestler even came out as a human piñata… and yeah somehow candy came out of him too. Lucha’s eye candy is just as sweet! See for yourself in our accompanying gallery.
LUCHA VA VOOM, tonight, May 2, 8 p.m. 1038 S. Hill St., downtown, (213) 746-4674, luchavavoom.com
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
