The land of Moz

In an age of American Idol stars, one man keeps Morrissey’s Latino following alive, one young fan at a time. For Fernando Rabiela—leader of the Socialists, a Morrissey-heavy cover band he formed with his four kids—paying tribute to the iconic Englander is as simple as venturing into his garage practice space.

While his fellow bandmates, 12-year-old Anaiis, 11-year-old Evan, 10-year-old Sofia and 8-year-old Cecilia, are far too young to remember Morrissey’s heyday as the Smiths’ frontman, Rabiela says the music transcends generations, especially for those of immigrant descent (despite Morrissey’s allegedly anti-immigration statements in NME magazine in 2007, which Rabiela hadn’t heard about).

“Being Latino, being Mexican, you grew up in a culture that wasn’t your own. Your parents raised you in a different country, but you’re still proud of who you are,” he says. “[Morrissey’s] music isn’t speaking about leaving Mexico and coming to the United States, but being the underdog is a big theme in this music. That’s the road some of us have taken in life.”

Nearly 30 years after the Smiths rose to prominence, many Latino fans still gather to sing Morrissey’s praises. “There’s a very strong following still around,” says Joe De La Mora, lead singer of the Handsome Devilz, the city’s only Smiths/Morrissey cover band. “They’re usually 25 to 35 [years old], half Hispanic, half white. A lot of Latinos, like me, like a lot of strong emotions in their songs. We’re very emotional. Lyrically, Morrissey is, too. As humans, we all connect with that.”

That certainly seems true of the Socialists. Despite the fact that they haven’t yet experienced the heartbreak and devastation Morrissey frequently sings about (nor do they have the Morrissey tattoos their father sports), Rabiela’s kids are so psyched to play Moz’s music they’ve transformed the family garage into a Morrissey poster–clad practice room and Sofia declared him her hero in a class project.

“We’re playing a one-year-old’s birthday party tomorrow,” Evan says at band practice. “It’s going to be the first time [the baby] hears these songs. I’m kind of jealous.” The kids aren’t old enough to hit up modern Morrissey hangouts (see “How to spot…Morrissey fanatics”), but those who are throw on vintage concert T-shirts, black jeans and a watch on each wrist—a nod to the “Something Is Squeezing My Skull” single cover—throughout the year to relive the days before Taylor Swift. As long as Morrissey continues to put out albums, De La Mora says the fans will feverishly follow him.

“[The Handsome Devilz] are actually building up our fan base right now. We’re seeing more and more people coming to our shows, so I think in five, maybe even ten years, the Morrissey community will still be going strong,” he says. “That’s the thing about Morrissey. He touches on a vulnerability that most can’t talk about. People find security in that.”

The Socialists play La Taberna Tapatia (3358 N Ashland Ave, 773-549-5851) November 14 at 7pm.

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