Heavy metal mariachi band at Heavenly Village Summer Concert Series

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - When thinking about all the possibilities of combining musical genres one most likely doesn't think about heavy metal and mariachi, yet that is exactly was is behind the band Metalachi.

The band is hitting the stage at the Heavenly Village Summer Concert Series on Friday, August 9 at 6:00 p.m. Those stopping by can expect an unlikely meshing of metal classics from artist such as Metallica, Slayer, Ozzy Osbourne and more with traditional mariachi standards from the likes of Vicente Fernandez and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan - all played with traditional mariachi instrumentation but with a stage show that strays far from traditional.

"When you break down the elements musically and emotionally they are more similar than different," explained Metalachi's manager Eric Travis.

The original band members were brothers from the mariachi world in Juarez, Mexico who never knew about heavy metal until coming to the United States. Part of the original band has moved on, said Travis, and new musicians have been added and they are now based in Southern California. An explanation of the band is "a musical/comedy stage show that somehow seamlessly blends the world of Spinal Tap and Cheech & Chong into an over-the-top stage spectacle."

The band has been touring the US, Canada and Mexico for nine years and they've produced three albums - Uno, Dos and Tres. They cover songs on the records from Queen and Bohemian Rapsody to Guns N' Roses' Sweet Child O' Mine and Anthrax's Caught in a Mosh.

Metalachi is just returning from Heavy Montréal, Canada's premier heavy music festival where they shared the venue with Slayer and Anthrax. Travis says it is quite the sight to see with long-haired metal-heads headbanging to traditional Mariachi.

"It's a beautiful thing," said Travis. "Our shows are one big party and everyone has a great time. The show is infectious - it is impossible to come to and have a bad time. You don't have to necessarily enjoy metal, just enjoy life."

The band, who travels for 115-135 shows a year, has developed fans from across the globe even though they haven't toured across the ocean yet, though a European tour is in the works. They are playing in Reno the night before South Lake Tahoe, then heading onto Mammoth and home.

Metalachi has been featured on America’s Got Talent, CNN’s Great Big Story, Rolling Stone en Español, BBC’s Outlook via NPR, Huffington Post, and National Geographic, and their music has been heard on FX’s The Bridge and in a new TV commercial for DirecTV.