Igor and the Red Elvises will perform Sept. 26 at The Tub. Courtesy photo

DK and the Affordables are an opening act for Igor and the Red Elvises Sept. 26 at The Tub. Courtesy photo

By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com

What better way to kick off the season of giving than with a little bit of rock n’ roll?

Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op (The Tub) and Live In Los Alamos are hosting Igor and the Red Elvises Sept. 26 at The Tub. The event is starting the Northern New Mexico Toy Drive Powered by EXIT Realty Advantage NM. Doors open at 6 p.m. and before the Red Elvises take the stage, the Hillstompers will perform at 6:30 p.m. followed by DK and the Affordables at 7 p.m.

This is a 21 and older event; anyone younger than 21 will need to be accompanied by a guardian or parent. Participants are encouraged to bring a toy donation to the event. Tickets are available at www.liveinlosalamos.com for $12 and in person at the Los Alamos Schools Credit Union for $10.

On top of all that there will be food. About three to four food trucks are expected to be at the event.

The Red Elvises return to Los Alamos after a two-year hiatus. DK Warner of DK and the Affordables said he has worked to bring the Red Elvises back into town for a while. Warner said believes the last time Red Elvises were in town was in 2023.

Warner spoke about frontman Igor Yuzov’s storied history with music. He explained Yuzov was born in Germany but grew up in Russia. He founded a successful “folk n’ roll” band named Limpopo, but Yuzov dreamt one night that Elvis paid him a visit and instructed him to play rock n’ roll. So, he followed the King’s advice.

Warner added Yuzov is excited to return to Los Alamos, saying, “he loves it here.”

Besides the opportunity to listen to great music, the event would be a chance to help support a good cause, the toy drive.

EXIT Associate Broker Becca Jones explained that The Tub has been a long-time partner in the toy drive, having hosted EXIT’s past ugly sweater events that also collect toys. Everything came together when, while working to bring back the Red Elvises, The Tub reached out to see if anything could be done to help with this year’s toy drive.

“Anything we can do to put on the table that is positive for our community, we want to do,” The Tub General Manager Doug Osborn said.

This year’s toy drive has big ambitions. EXIT Qualifying Broker Lance Eaton said the goal is to serve 10,000 kids. Jones added that the recipients of the toy drive have been expanded into Albuquerque.

It may seem like a tall order, but Jones noted that last year 8,500 children benefited from the toy drive and EXIT worked to distribute the toys across 42 different children’s organizations.

This is the sixth year EXIT has been involved in the toy drive, she added. Before that, the Santa Fe Fire Department helped organize the event.

Jones explained she and her husband, who works at the Santa Fe Fire Department, had taken part in the toy drive since 2012 but when COVID hit in 2020, the fire department took a step back. It didn’t have the manpower, and logistics also played a role, Jones said. So, EXIT took the reins.

Jones said she showed up at a team meeting and asked if EXIT could handle the drive “and they just jumped on it.”

The Tub joined the effort in 2021, and they just stayed on, Jones said.

“They continue to just support us,” she said.

“I think of anybody getting up (on Christmas Day) … and not having anything on Christmas just makes me sad, Osborn said. He added he is a big fan of the holiday.

The drive begins Sept. 26 but donations will be accepted through Dec. 24. Jones encourages everyone to check https://www.exittoydrive.com/ for drop-off locations as well as other ways to donate. There is a shopping list available on the website as well as a link to make a financial contribution.

Eaton encourages everyone to attend the Sept. 26 event and help get the drive underway.

“It’s a great, fun event that supports the local community,” he said.

A scene from a previous distribution of toys collected during the Northern New Mexico Toy Drive Powered by EXIT Realty Advantage NM. Courtesy photo