This ‘Barrio’ Was Nothing Like Graceland

The Scene: Thursday night at the Atlas Bar & Grill, where El Vez, the L. A. club scene’s most renowned Mexican Elvis Presley impersonator, premiered his new video, “En el Barrio.” The evening also featured three sets by El Vez and his Memphis Mariachis, who performed salsa-flavored El Vez favorites like “You Ain’t Nothing but a Chihuahua” and “Maria’s the Name of His Latest Flame.”

The Buzz: Though he’s opened for musicians from Tito Puente to The Sugarcubes, El Vez (a.k.a. Robert Lopez) has yet to grab a major record deal. Now, though, he’s toured Europe. His new video has been played on MTV and other video shows, and a local news crew was on hand to broadcast live from the Atlas.

The Outfits: The self-proclaimed Aztec king of soul looked rico suave . He performed his first set in gold lame pants before switching into a heavy leather outfit that made him look like an extra from “Scorpio Rising.” The Memphis Mariachis wore East L. A. chic (Ray-Ban sunglasses, red bandannas, goatees), while the El Vettes (Priscillita and Que Linda Thompson) each wore two miniature sombreros as brassiere tops.

Who Was There: Artist and party girl Allee Willis; “En el Barrio” director Randall Michelson; teen heartthrob of yore Fabian, and quite a few members of the El Vez fan club. Atlas Bar & Grill owner Mario Tamayo was there, but he dashed next door to the Wiltern Theatre between El Vez sets to catch that night’s performance by Marky Mark.

For Sale: A cigarette girl with an enormous beehive hairdo worked the crowd selling El Vez T-shirts and photographs. It was a low-key scheme compared to the aggressive marketing at Graceland, where one can buy everything from Love Me Tender Shampoo to tiny vials of purportedly authentic Elvis sweat.

Quoted: What’s next for East L.A.’s favorite faux Elvis? He’s working with the producers of “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” on his own sitcom. “It’ll be like the ‘Patty Duke Show,’ ” he promised.

Triumphs: Said video director Michaelson, “El Vez is doing so well now that we want to use El Vez impersonators in our next video.”

Glitches: Predictably, the black-clad L. A. crowd was far too cool for its own good. One wished for a Graceland-type crowd to scream, swoon and throw hotel keys and undergarments at El Vez.