Take a Little Trip

The 1975 War song “Low Rider” is so popular that it’s been covered by dozens of musicians, including Blues Traveler, George Clinton, Korn, Cypress Hill, Phish and Barry White. It was Eric and Donna’s song in That ’70s Show. George Lopez has even dubbed it the “Chicano National Anthem.”

Why the popularity? War managed to cash in on the immense cultural relevance and street credit of the lowrider, a car or truck with a modified suspension, keeping the body of the vehicle as low to the ground as possible. Chicanos in San Diego County invented lowriders, which quickly became part of Californian and Southwestern Latino-American culture as a whole. Today you can find lowriders in West Coast hip-hop, specialty magazines, movies and television — there’s even a strain of marijuana called “lowrider.”

And since summer is the perfect time of year to celebrate lowriders, it makes sense that the Denver Lowrider Tour is taking place today at the Denver Coliseum, 4600 Humboldt Street. Catch a concert, a bikini contest and, of course, more than 500 customized rides for your ogling pleasure, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $30; for details, call 1-714-939-2441.
Sun., June 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., 2008