Someone asked me casually a week ago how many times a week I go to shows, events, whatever. I did not have an answer until an hour ago.
I went through my handy day timer and did some figuring. This is what I did in 2024:
I visited Act2PV the most times of any other venue at 82. This includes a few bingo games and Open Mics but mostly shows, David Sabella’s incredible 9-week Voice Masterclass, and the Fiesta de Cabaret that accounted for seven fantastic evenings.
Next, at 49 weeks, was Qulture, that terrific artist’s gallery that hosts our weekly Scrabble games. On one Wednesday, our games were cancelled as I was the only one in town, and Christmas and New Year’s Days were closed, so the accounting is right on.
Nacho Daddy is third with 40. Lots of bingo fundraisers for Colina Spay and Neuter Clinic and the Purr Project. Also, Gouda Gabor’s Come Blow Your Horn Open Mic nights, Luis Villanueva, Lady Zen, and the incredible Kevin Anthony with the Roxsand Band.
Right behind Nacho Daddy, The Palm Cabaret with 39 trips for anything with Chris Lopez’s name on it, including Beyonce, Rihanna, Madonna, Armando Chakram’s amazing Michael Buble show. The Freddie Mercury, ABBA, Eagles, and Fleetwood Mac Tributes, Eva Jimenez’s Pink debuted in the spring and has since moved up to Coco Cabaret.; all fantastic shows. Sebastian Coronel’s Buenos Aires, Tango extravaganza, I saw two or three times.
La Catrina Cantina, home of the happiest and best wait staff in Vallarta, opened their doors to me 25 times in 2024. Lots of Kevin Anthony, Luis Villanueva, Tonny Kenneth, Nacho Granados, and Cindy Du Chateau’s 70th birthday party. Also, Effie Passero selling out in an hour. Great veggie quesadillas and the best popcorn in town.
Sixth place goes to Arte Vallarta Museo and Theater. Every First Saturday of the Month, I am at the Museum for that fiesta and watched Leave it to Cleavage with Diana Frances and Karen Parker from Canada, work their improv magic in Arte Vallarta Theater on Pilitas. I also audited the workshop that they both taught the 11 aspiring comedians in the same space. In March, those two are coming back to town.
Casa Karma‘s Living Room came alive with 19 events I could not say no to. Gloria Fiona, Aquiles Morales, Sargento Dan with his preview of Mentiras coming up again at Nacho Daddy, and more.
The brand new Coco Cabaret just opened eight weeks ago – I have seen ten brilliant performances including an ELO Tribute, Boys on Fire with their best yet – Superheroes, and The Nutracker in Wonderland, absolutely lovely.
Casita and Garden is quickly becoming an event space with entertainment almost every night of the week. I saw the best magician in the world there – Mauricio Andrade. The Dirties, starring Diego Guerrero, gave a helluva rock concert once at C & G and the other time at the adjacent Bonito Kitchen.
The last venue on my list is Teatro Vallarta, with two illustrious events, including What a Drag last March. A biggie is coming up at Teatro Vallarta next week, January 10, when Gloria Fiona presents her Tribute to Adele.
The biggest category, with 224 occurrences, represents small meetings, interviews, brief chats, lunches, dinners, press conferences, mango smoothies, and grand openings that were all mentioned in my columns last year that didn’t fit into any recurring venue category.
I added up all those numbers, and 520 events is how many times I left my house to ‘work’ last year. That is 1.4 events every single day of 2024. Seems like a lot, no?
Compiling all the figures and remembering wonderful bits and pieces of a busy year was fun. I was also reminded of the great losses with the deaths of Dennis Crow on January 21, John Henry Kreitler a week later on the 28th, and David Duvall, who passed on October 30. Rest in Peace, gentlemen, and thank you for the fine music over the years.
This New Year, not even one day old, will be spectacular in every positive way. I look forward to seeing you at Vallarta’s entertainment hotspots; please say hello if we bump into one another.
