Beach Blanket Bingo Along the Caspian Sea

To understand the chaotic fervor that is the Red Elvises, you’ve got to take everything you know about surf rockabilly, distill it in an oversized bottle of Stolichnaya, funnel it into the mouths of your favorite polka musicians, and watch the magic unfold. Californians by way of former Soviet states, the Elvises blend traditional all-American, ‘50s-style chord progressions, with off-beat polka undertones, to produce the most eccentric dance party you’ve ever stumbled into. Backbeats aren’t the only way this gang stands out. Costumed in assorted animal print jumpsuits, the foursome weaves in unconventional instruments like the bass balalaika (imagine a Flying V, enhanced to 500 times its original size), accordions, violins, and the occasional Theremin. Topping off the mashed-up melodies are, of course, the Elvises’ trademark goofball lyrics. Songs like “Memoirs of a Phuket Geisha,” a first-person account from a middle-aged prostitute who’s just been notified that her Norwegian boyfriend is cutting her off financially, and the giddy dance number, “Gotta Condom in My Pocket (I’m Gonna Meet Me Pretty Girl)” are all delivered with fiendishly heavy Russian accents. Yes, it’s a kitsch overload. But it’s one that the Elvises execute so pristinely that you’ll undoubtedly fall head over platform heels in love. Check out these wacky rockers at 9 p.m. tonight at Alligator Alley (1321 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park). Tickets cost $10. Call 954-771-2220, or visit alligatoralleyflorida.com, and redelvises.com.
Tue., Oct. 28, 2008