Imagine this bizarre and twisted fantasy: Aliens from another galaxy finally decide to show themselves, (sadly after Art Bell has passed away) and they lower their frisbee-like spaceship towards Milwaukee. And imagine that they happen upon Mondo Lucha in its full ridiculous and insane spectacle. They witness speedo clad male bodies flying off ropes, airborne hurtling towards a defenseless freakish red body suited freak. Grown men chained to each other. And women, half dressed, writhing around on a stage surrounded by dance beats and sweat. The aliens get their first taste of PBR as they are surrounded by fans screaming the name “Mustafaaaaaaaa!!!!!!” (although they don’t know it’s a name, they’re aliens) and as you would expect they decide to hang around on earth for a while.
“What the fuck is up with this human race?” they say to each other in their native clicks and clacks and extraterrestrial buzzes.
“We have been studying their leader Donald Trump and it kind of makes sense… “
Such was the case last weekend at the Nomad Nacional popup on 5th Street where the aliens would have seen throngs of people watching world cup matches on any other night. But not this night, opened by the band Devil’s Teeth, with their surfy garage rock and there all white stage garb; a band fronted by Jon Hanusa, penner of the Mondo Lucha theme song that debuted 8 years ago. They’re jagged, dirty groove set the tone for the five wrestling bouts to come; and the show, closed by Rio Turbo, a band comprised of Joey Turbo, two dancers (one wearing a crochet bikini, for lack of a better descriptor), and a DJ. Joey told me they play with security guards every once in a while, “to get him drinks.”
The theater, the farce, the absurdity and the head scratching entertainment value permeated this 80-degree Milwaukee evening.
“I get high watching this shit, it‘s contagious,” Joey told me.
And as I walked out, I saw Mondo Lucha creators Jay Gilkay and Andy Gorzalski, with that grin on their face I knew I had seen before. It was the look of a couple of guys who got away with something.
Mondo Lucha, Milwaukee’s gift to those who want their minds blown. There are wrestlers. There are burlesque performers. There is rock and roll. And there is always an element of ridiculous anti-political correctness that always takes the show to a place that can be, frankly, uncomfortable.
Aliens, check your calendars, the next Mondo Lucha is in September.
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About the author
Co-founder, Editor-in-Chief, Commonstate.com
