The El Vez For Prez tour kicks off September 30 in Solana Beach, Calif., with nearly 40 dates scheduled through mid-November. The singer, whose real name is Robert Lopez, will take less than one day per week off during the trek.

As suggested by his name and well-quaffed visage, El Vez is undeniably an Elvis fan. But don’t be fooled: he’s far from your average gold lamé-wearing, skydiving impersonator. El Vez is on a political, pro-Latino mission.

Armed with the mantra, “Say It Loud, I’m Brown And I’m Proud!” and the ability to cheekily convert Elvis tunes into political propaganda, El Vez is a swiveling vehicle for Latino pride and awareness.

Not unlike Rage Against The Machine, El Vez tackles subjects including the Zapatistas and other Mexican revolutionaries, while retaining a sense of the absurd.

Songs such as “You Ain’t Nothing But A Chihuahua,” “En el Barrio,” and “Huraraches Azules” (a version of “Blue Suede Shoes”) highlight El Vez’s melding of traditional Elvis with his Latino background.

His last album, Boxing With God, was released in late 2001. He recently hinted that he’s planning a new album and European tour, as well as “a certain project with a certain punk rock band from Seattle.”