Memphis'97
I had seen the first "Elvis" concert in Memphis in 97. When Elvis came out on stage (on the screen) and the band was roaring, and the place was sold out. I cried like a baby. Tears streamed down my face through the first three songs!! Keep in mind I was 23 at the time and im a guy. The duet of "Don't Cry Daddy" once again brought tears to my eyes. To think one man brought so much love and joy by singing songs. I moved to Las Vegas August of 97 soon after the concert. I hoped and hoped that if the Elvis concert series continued that it would stop in at Elvis' old stomping grounds out here...the Las Vegas Hilton of course!! Well, it did. While waiting in line to get in I was reminded of TTWII, we were in the very same lines they show in the movie. The line wrapped around the ENTIRE casino!! The electricity was amazing!! It was such a thrill, you could almost feel as though Elvis himself was really there with everything going on. (about an hour before the show I went to the showroom and could hear Elvis singing and the TCB band practicing from outside the main door, it gave me the chills!!!!!) Once we got in the show started and the lights went down.
2001 started and was SO loud!! (Again more chills) then the big curtain covering the stage dropped and ELVIS appeared!!! He sounded so good, but the TCB band was tight as ever!!! During Johnny B. Goode they added solo's for the band members. (This is new, it was not in the 97 show) It showed just how good the band still was, then Elvis chimed back in on the chorus to make it complete!! What a gem this was!! The show stopper was THREE songs, Just Pretend, Bridge, and, I'll remember you. I'll remember you because on small screens next to Elvis' main screen they showed video of Elvis throughout his life. It was so good!! Bridge and Just Pretend because of the vocals that Elvis gave. They just touch a nerve that is something special. Elvis truly was a one and only. This is a MUST SEE for anyone!! Elvis fan or not!! The show was sold out, and because of the demand they had to ADD shows to the schedule.
If EPE or the Hilton or whoever did the advertising would do a REAL job on this it would certainly sell out everywhere it went. I live here in Vegas and have run into MANY people who feel robbed because they didn't know about the shows and missed all of them!! I did take pictures at the shows I went to in Las Vegas. If you would like to see them here is my link to my web page.
March 18,1998. Cleveland, Ohio
I remember the music, gates, the band and him coming out and doing C.C.Rider. It was great. I never got to see Elvis when I was young because I was only 6 years old. But this new concert was awesome the band J.D. Sumner and The Stamps were good too. To me it felt like after the first two songs you forgot about the damn screen cause it felt like he was right there on the stage. It felt like he rose from the dead and started to tour again just like he did in the 70's. For the people who have not seen this concert I highly recommend you folks to see it.
t.c.b.
August 29, 1998. Rosemont, IL
I want to express my gratitude to Graceland and all the TCB Band and Elvis Loved ones for making the Concert a special place to pay tribute to the Legendary Performer of all times in Rock and Roll History, Elvis Aron Presley.
His show was great at the Rosemont - yes they hold 18,000 seats but I read in the papers the next day that the estimate attendance was counted and was approximately at 15,000 Elvis Fans whom could not be wrong, smile. The Chicago Sun-Times verified that. Altho, I read some message boards that it was between 5,000 to 7,000 which was inaccurately. It looked like it was small because 3000 seats were unused.
I also went to see the very first Concert in Graceland back in 1997 when they showed Lisa Marie Presley singing duet with her late daddy, "Don't Cry Daddy". I even saw Lisa Marie and Priscilla Presley about 100 feet away from me-- I got good pictures taken also.
But anyway, both shows were outstanding, the feel and the view was so great that it would make you cry to be in the environment of Elvis Presley. His music was so awesome--
Act I
CC Rider, Burning Love, Steamroller Blues, I Cant Stop Loving You, Johnny B. Goode, You Gave Me a Mountain, (Elvis introduces the cast), Polk Salad Annie, You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Proud Mary, Never Been to Spain, Just Pretend, Make the World Go Away, In The Ghetto...(JD Sumner & the Stamps sang "Sweet Sweet Spirit), (The Imperials sang "He Touched Me"), then Elvis again, How Great Thou Art, and Bridges Over Troubled Water...
Act II
Sweet Inspiration-- by The Sweet Inspirations Trouble/Guitar Man, Hound Dog, Dont Be Cruel, All Shook Up, Heartbreak Hotel, One Night, Love Me Tender, The Wonder of You, Lawdy-Miss Clawdy, Funny How Time Slips Away, Suspicious Minds, I'll Remember You, Big Hunk o' Love, My Way, An American Trilogy, Cant Help Falling in Love then Close Vamp.
All were clips from Tv Special 68, Aloha From Hawaii, That's The Way It Is, Elvis on Tour, and The Lost Performances...
Very Beautiful Show-- I was on the low level audience and the Fans were screaming like Crazy--actually it depends where u are sitting -- the closer u sit to the Stage the wilder it is--giggle.
IT was so good to be there--felt like as if it was a LIVE CONCERT WITH THE REAL ELVIS...
May Elvis Rest in Peace--Long Live Elvis!
Elvis in Wembley
Well, Elvis has now invaded Europe for his first ever "World Tour! And I'm thrilled to have witnessed the opening night in London!
The Wembley Arena was packed with an excited crowd of around 12,000. It was unfortunate that the organisers were totally incompetent to handle the sell-out attendance. It was a real nightmare trying to get into the building and to our seats. Merchandise was expensive and almost impossible to access. Programmes sold out long before many people (including me) had an opportunity to get one.
I saw/ heard very little publicity for the show, other than fan club information and the Graceland web site, so it's a tribute to the everlasting popularity of the King that the venue sold out so quickly after tickets went on sale 3 months before the event.
On the day of the concert, the London "Times" newspaper headlined a full page spread giving news of the concert, which was tastefully and seriously written, and accompanied by good photos of Elvis and James Burton. After the show, Sky News carried an equally tasteful account on TV in their hourly news bulletins, together with footage of the rehearsals and a brief interview with Todd Morgan. The following Monday morning "The Times" again had a pretty good write up, reviewing the concert in the newspaper's "Arts" section.
Well, what words can I use to describe the concert itself? It was simply AWESOME. The whole place tingled as the first few notes of "2001" rumbled around the auditorium. For some, this alone produced tears. I was fortunate enough to witness the show in Memphis in August '97. That, of course, was a unique never- to-be-repeated experience, an incredible climax to an incredible week. That aside, I think the London concert was an improvement, with more "live" material from the King. I thought it was especially nice to have a "live" version of "How Great Thou Art", rather than the audio only one. There were other brilliantly crafted touches of interaction between "Elvis" and his audience. I loved the "...Now you've had a chance to see us, I'd like to turn the house lights up...." and then, blow me, if we didn't see ourselves on the big screen waving, alternating with Elvis looking out at us!
It is a brilliant concept, superbly executed, and splendidly performed. The objective to reach as close as possible to a real live Elvis concert is certainly achieved. As for the band and the supporting singers, absolutely nothing short of the highest praise is due. It was, of course, so sad that J.D. Sumner was missing, but it was a nice touch that the rest of the Stamps dedicated "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" to him, and they sang it superbly. The Sweet Inspiriations opened the second half of the show with a rousing and energetic "Sweet Inspiration". The TCB Band almost defy an appropriate comment. They are legends in their own right.
I was in the third row, bang in the centre. Great seats! Maybe a bit better view of the screen could have been achieved a little further away, but this was well compensated for by the closeness to the live performers. We even managed a quick exchange with James Burton during the interval. I was also delighted to bump into comedian Frank Skinner in the auditorium, and was able to thank him for his excellent recent TV documentary "A Little Bit of Elvis".
The only bit I would preferred left out were the odd moments of Las Vegas audiences on the video screen. For me, this kind of interrupted the feeling of it truly being a "live" concert. But no matter, it's a trivial point. High spots of the concert(apart from ALL of it!) were "Just Pretend", "Suspicious Minds", "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "How Great Thou Art" and "An American Trilogy". And during "Never Been To Spain", the line "I've never been to England..." brought huge cheers from the Wembley crowd! By the time "Can't Help Falling In Love" faded away, the entire auditorium was on its feet for a lengthy and well deserved standing ovation. In a way, that was the worst moment of all, because by then we knew it was all over! It seemed to pass so quickly!
But I guess London had to let the King march on with the remainder of his Europe "invasion"! It defies all logic and imagination that 20-, 30-, 40-year-old popular music performed by an entertainer who has now been dead for almost 22 years, can still enthral and captivate so many tens of thousands of people around the world. That is, until you see it. Then you know why Elvis remains the undisputed - and unchallengable - King!
Wembley Arena
As I was only 5 yrs old when Elvis died I knew I would never get to experience the KING in concert, or so I thought. Then on 23rd January 1999 all my wishes came true. The place was London, England, the venue was Wembley Arena and it was ELVIS IN CONCERT '99.
I sat in my seat when all of a sudden the arena went dark and the opening bars of 2001 boomed out from the speakers, the place erupted, you could just feel the anticipation build right upto Ronnie's drum vamp when all of a sudden the King was before us, he chose the famous 73 eagle suit, he looked great.
The King started with CC Rider and from then until the last it was highpoint after highpoint. The intros came and the Stamps had a special cheer(sadly they were one missing), the concert was just roaring on, Jonny B Goode (complete with band solos) never sounded so good. One of the most moving parts of the night came when Elvis asked the Stamps to sing Sweet Sweet Spirit, they dedicated the song to their friend J.D. Sumner, everyone present had a lump in their throat at the end of this song (and boy can they still sing). Other highlights were Just Pretend, Bridge (complete with added choir), Suspicious Minds (my fav performance of the night), How Great Thou Art (BROUGHT THE HOUSE DOWN) and of course Trilogy, the response for this one was fantastic. During 'Never Been To Spain' the line which goes 'well I've never been to England' was greeted with wry smiles and cheers, OH indeed you have been to England and you conquered. All too soon those dreaded words were heard 'LADIES AND GENTELMEN ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING', surely not, even in death the man could hold a crowd like few performers ever could.
The band members were given a good 5 minute standing ovation which was thoroughly deserved, each had performed brilliantly, no wonder they were hand picked to back the greatest performer who ever lived.
I will be forever greatful for this chance to see the KING in concert (well almost), at least now I have a slightly better understanding of just what it might have been like to be at an ELVIS concert.
THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT
Belgium, January 24, 1999.
I didn't personally see him.I saw "Elvis The concert", the 1999 tour. What a wonderful evening I spent yesterday Sunday 24th in Brussels!!! That was GREAT! I already saw it in Memphis in 97, sure the band was bigger there, but yesterday the sound, the lights, the screens, the pictures were...fantastic.
At the beginning of the show there was a white translucid curtain hiding the stage and the screens. As the "Also sprach Zarathustra" intro was over, the curtain suddenly felt and HE was on the screen...What a magic moment!! As in 97, during a few seconds I automatically searched for Elvis on stage, but I think his spirit was there with us.
The show was too short for me, even if the real Elvis ' shows were not very longer. I should have stay there for hours and hours, all night long.
We missed JD Sumner. The Stamps were great, but JD 's voice wasn't there.....I couldn't thank all the band enough for this tour.
It was a great event for me!!
Germany, January 29, 1999.
What a super gig it was!!!
I guess it was the best concert Elvis ever made. I got heartbeat as the band started with the opening of "2001". The curtain felt and ELVIS came in. It was so real. Wow! At the right and left screens we saw the band and the audience. And in the middle - Elvis himself - .What a feeling.
The party started with CC Rider. Johnny B. Good was a highlight with the solos of the band members. Ronny Todd, James Burton, Charlie Hodge and Jerry Scheff were in a brilliant mood. But I missed Charlie Hodge and John Wilkinson. "In the ghetto", "How great thou art" and "Bridges over troubled water" were touching moments of the first part of the show.
The second started with his RR classics and the the crowds stands up, started to dance and crying "Elvis you're still the King". A nice gag followed , as Elvis said: Please turn the light on , that I can see you" . The lights turned on!! The stamps and the sweet inspirations did a very good job. I get tears in my eyes as the last three songs started. "My way, American trilogy and Can't help falling in love". "American trilogy" was absolut awesome. Many many people ran to the stage and held their hands together in a row. I never forget this moment.
Elvis has left the building , but not our hearts!!!
