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Tommy Lee Does Cabo for the First Time

In 2009, it’s safe to say that Tommy Lee, who first gained notoriety as the swarthy, angular, misbehaving drummer of seminal rock group Mötley Crüe in the 80s, has proven his bona fides as a superstar.

Tommy Lee Does Cabo

For one generation, Shout at the Devil (‘83) and Girls, Girls, Girls (‘87) defined an inimitable sound and rock n’ roll attitude—as did Lee’s bandmates' antics, and Lee’s early connubial bliss with his first blond bombshell wife, Heather Locklear. For the MTV set, Tommy Lee is better known for his on-again off-again relationship with the buxom Pamela Anderson, stints on reality TV, a certain revealing home video, and of course, his role in founding the rap-metal outfit Methods of Mayhem.

But Tommy Lee’s enduring celebrity has much more to do with his musical talent than with his notoriety. Like several other amorphous talents of his generation (think Madonna, who’s gone from fishnets and cheap thrills to a one-woman empire, and back to the dance floor with the help of Pilates and peroxide), Lee is a chameleon with a superior ear and an apparently endless capacity for reinvention.

With a third solo album ready to drop next year, a brand-new Ganesha tattoo (the elephant-headed Hindu deity that is honored principally as the “Remover of Obstacles”), a reunited Mötley Crüe, and a very promising career as a dance DJ, Tommy Lee’s star is rising—again.

While his latest incarnation as a dance DJ with Electro Mayhem partner DJ Aero (Chester Deitz) might seem unlikely to those who know Lee mainly as a drummer, their spectacular live show puts any doubts to rest about the pair’s wacky chemistry. Actually, it may be their differences that have helped make them a hit on the DJ circuit in the US and beyond. The two began collaborating with Methods of Mayhem, a band for which Deitz served as both producer and DJ.

Tommy Lee Does Cabo

Today, together, the clean-cut, talented DJ Aero and the infamous Lee have managed to clear a solid path through Lee’s sordid past to become a coveted and talented club act. While Aero spins, Lee applies effects and does visuals. Think of the act as a live remix, unpredictable and star-studded. There are some rock stars, of course, who can’t quite shake the glitter (or the baggage) of their rock god mantles when taking a professional detour, but Tommy Lee hasn’t had that problem. In fact, he has the unique ability to cultivate multiple audiences and have several genres and projects in the pipeline at the same time, which is a rare talent. And it was Electro Mayhem’s DJ act prowess, not Lee’s celebrity, that inspired the organizers of this year’s 11th Annual Cabo Pimp N’ Ho Costume Ball to invite the duo to headline the biggest annual party of its kind in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

So this year, for the first time in Los Cabos, Mötley Crüe fans, celebrity news junkies and electronic music enthusiasts alike will converge on El Squid Roe to witness Electro Mayhem, the renowned live show that—if you can believe it—actually eclipses Tommy’s star. After all, Deitz and Lee have been doing the DJ thing together for almost a decade, and by now, their skillful live sets and electric performances have earned them a reputation as one of the most sought after acts on the dance and House music scene. Tommy’s even jumped onto some tour dates with Grammy award winning Sharam (part of Deep Dish) to guest on the piano during Sharam’s infamous underground House DJ sets.

So, Tommy Lee of the sex tape, the rehab, the antics, the rock n’ roll? Well, if any venue is a good place for creative self-expression, it’s the Cabo Pimp N’ Ho Ball at El Squid Roe. But in 2009, nearly two decades after he attracted his first groupies, it’s safe to say that Tommy Lee’s genius has long since outshone his talent for provocation.

Watch and listen to all things Tommy Lee at: www.tommylee.tv, or visit his partner in crime’s webpage at www.djaero.com.