Elvis Presley once made 78 r.p.m. records, king of rock 'n' roll music, pop music idol in the 1950s, and he is performing still largely because we don't want to give it up. He sings not only of the past, however, for along with "Hound Dog" and "Blue Suede Shoes" he does the contemporary "Bridge Over Troubled Water," giving it his own sound

His concert Wednesday night In Memorial Auditorium was his second here, but his biggest success. It drew an Aud record of 17,350 persons.

For a performer with a reputation for being somewhat extrovert, Presley seems remarkably shy, or at least he is reluctant to exploit his appeal, which is certainly strong. Those quick swooning screams of female adulation are heard today only for the very young performers.

The Style of body movement is quick and charged with sexual energy, however planned and choreographed it may be. Presley seems to be enjoying himself, as if he is happy still to be able to turn on a large audience. He makes a song nervous, and his fans are expecting the thrill of ... what? A turn of the body, merely, a bending of legs. He was a blue and silver star, ware of his pose for one of those magazine covers which proclaimed his place at the top of the kingdom of pop.

Fuel for Adulation

His modesty is a fuel for the fan adulation. If he looked in the direction of some fans they screamed, and Presley would look down, shaking his head, as if to wonder how the old response was still there.

"I live my life in dreams of yesterday," he sang without apparent irony.

The nervous expectancy in the air was noticeable in the behavior of the police who were responsible for keeping the crowd from approaching the pop singer. When the aisle needed to be cleared, the method was more firm than usual.

Presley did not hold back from his admirers, however, for involvement is a part of his act. During his performance of "Love Me Tender" he took off his white scarf, dropped it into the crowd.

Presley sang rock 'n' roll, "oldies and goodies" which he performed with a nervous dance, his right hand strumming an imaginary guitar. "My knees are shaking ...I'm in love."

Presley sings still with a low croon, smooth as syrup, and his phrasing becomes more excited in his nervous staccato style. He is coaxing in his ballads and this is the way he began singing "Hound Dog" low and easy before the up tempo modulation.

The band, which included some local musicians was fronted by Presley's small rock unit, was not satisfactory to Presley at the start of one number, and he stopped and began again to sing "Don't Be Cruel", which he wanted to be right.

"I'm not a king," Presley sang, "Just a man..." And he also sang "I Can't Stop Loving You" They still love him too, won't stop either.

The fans were patient. mostly during the first part of the show, which included three sisters, singing soulfully, called the Sweet Inspirations, and there was a comedian who made some jokes at the expense of today's youth, but he forgot that this crowd was there only because it too had a youth with acne and awkwardness and Elvis singing from the ear radio.

Elvis Draws Aud Record

A record turnout of 17,360 persons passed through Memorial auditorium turnstiles Wednesday night to view the Elvis Presley program. Joseph D. Figliola, auditorium director, said the crowd, by turnstile count, was the largest ever attracted in the aud.

The Buffalo Braves basketball club announced an auditorium attendance figure of 17,317 for their National Basketball Assn game March 18, 1972 against the Detroit Pistons, but Figliola would not comment on the Braves' fan count.

In the March 29 editions of the Courier-Express, columnist Phil Ranallo reported the actual turnstile for the March 18 game was 16,318.

Courtesy of Francesc Lopez