Elvis is Alive Again! And He's Turned Mexican!

I was eating a massive turkey leg and drinking a Modelo while watching Hot Sauce Jazz band jam out on the Jefferson St. Stage at San Antonio's Jazz'SALive, when I saw something that nearly made me drop the entire turkey leg onto the ground and maybe even my Modelo too if I wasn't holding on so tightly. He peered from the corner of my eye, and I nearly forgot I was listening to some amazing xylophone solo action. I turned to Sam and said, "Not who, but WHAT is that?"

Sam and I stared, and then stared some more. I busted out my camera and began the stalking, while Sam kept on with the turkey leg and blatant stares. Standing by the stage, with a black cape, golden sunglasses, golden shoes, and a hair style that no other ever wore. It was Elvis himself.

 Elvis is alive and well.

And he's now a Mexican.

And he lives in San Antonio.  

I had a momentary deep fascination with the Mexican Elvis impersonator. How does one wake up and decide to be..weird and completely different? And walk around nonchalantly looking like Elvis? And when do they get to the point where they are accepted by others, and they ultimately become oddly famous? And iconic to that city? He's probably made it to the top five list of things to do in San Antonio (unfortunately San Antonio doesn't have much beyond a top five).

1. Visit the Alamo

2. Walk along the romantic River Walk and eat at Dick's

3. Explore the city from above while having dinner at the Tower of Americas

4. Watch a Spurs basketball game

5. Watch San Antonio's famous Mexican Elvis dance in a plaza

Each city has its own partially homeless and/or insane, interesting iconic person. They are the stars of the city. Find them on YouTube, watch documentaries, even vote for them to become mayor! 

San Francisco's World Famous Bushman is a homeless man who hides behind a bush on the sidewalk near Fisherman's Warf and pops out from behind, scaring the passing tourists. The amount of ice-cream dropped from children's hands at the sight of the creepy Bushman is probably at a high and heartbreaking number.  

Austin's Leslie, on the other hand, just parties and keeps Austin weird. Find him on 6th Street and Congress, bus stops, festivals, basically any place where the fun is. He's the city's loiter transvestite party animal who's ran for mayor the past three terms, promising his constituents an even weirder Austin. Leslie, you've got my vote!

Go to Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, and find a man who has dressed up as Superman for nearly 15 years. He's the leading role in "Confessions of A Superhero", a documentary. 

Maybe one day I can be a city's iconic figure. But I'd have to find a city without one. It shows that in today's world, you don't always need YouTube to become famous.  In order to gain popularity and possibly a spot as a city's iconic personality, you'd just need a proper costume, a tactic, and  the willingness to stay in character for years to come.