Keep Clapping

With very few exceptions (including The Jonas Brothers, Vanilla Ice and speed metal) I will pretty much go to any live show. To me, a good concert has little to do with my musical taste and more to do with actually seeing an artist at work--it's not much different than going to the museum. I'’ve sat through everything from Celine Dion to Gwar, and though I'd rather eat chalk than be subjected to Celine Dion through my stereo, I didn't totally hate her live. She put on a good show. The same is apparently true of Vicente Fernandez, a Mexican ranchera crooner who is the Tom Jones of traditional Latin music. Though Fernandez has sold a ridiculous number of albums throughout his nearly 40-year career, the real appeal of the man known as "the idol of Mexico" is in the show he puts on live. He pledges to play for as long as the audience keeps clapping, often clocking in at 2 to 4 hours per date. This is a man with energy--he played a marathon show a few minutes after he found out his father died, donning the full charro costume and never letting on to the audience that something was wrong. Audiences have rewarded Fernandez for his dedication to them, making him a phenomenon capable of selling out huge venues like American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., where he will play at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets range from $50 to $150 and may be purchased at ticketmaster.com.
Fri., Oct. 9, 8 p.m., 2009