Presley 'Woos' Midwesterners
by Paula N. Quick
Waterloo Courier
June 21, 1974

DES MOINES - Elvis Presley, the ageless crooner who had dazzled them in West and jaded them inthe East, wooed them in the Midwest as he made his first concert appearance in Des Moines in 19 years.

Appearing before a sell-out crowd of about 11,000, Elvis clad in a white jumpsuit with blue sequins, did old songs and new ones before the ecstatic crowd at Veteran's Memorial Thursday night.

The young and old came from far and near to listen to "The King" of rock 'n' roll do such oldies as "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Don't Be Cruel"

"THERE'S NO one like hi," said a woman who came from Milford, a town about 300 miles from Des Moines.

"He's got a lot of class and stuff," said Max Bumfardner, 7, who came with hi sparents from Wapello on Iowa's eatern edge.

His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Larry Bumgardner, said they had seen Presley three times - twice in Las Vegas and once in Chicago.

FANS INTERVIEWED at tributed te staying power of "Elvis the Pelvis" mainly to his performance and the management of "Colonel" Tom Parker, a promoter who discovered Presley nearly 20 years ago.

Reporters were granted no interviews before or after the concert and an aide said there was just not enough time to set up a press conference in Des Moines.

Elvis was on stage briefly - about an hour - and did the gyrations that have made him famous and that have been the source of imitation. but they appeared a bit mild. Has Elvis mellowed with the pasage of time?

MIXED IN which the rock songs were the religion - oriented hit by Kris Kristofferson, "Why Me Lord" and the patriotic "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah" done in conjunction with "Dixie."

Tony Abramovich, promotions manager at the auditorium, had said earlier he expected no problems with security, because of th ematurity of the audience. He seemed to be right. Except for the inevitable screaming, picture taking an intermittent standing upon seats, the crowd was quite manageable.

Tickets sold for mostly at $10, Abramovich said.

Scalpers offered tickets for $20 up to the highest bid outside, but they apparently didn't know tickets which had been returned to Vet's were selling at the booth inside for a mere $10.

IT WAS a fun night, watching Elvis and perusing through all the Elvis trinkets. scarves and photo albums being sold.

"I just like him" said Ramon Navarro, 23, who came all the way down from Rochester, Minn. to see the Presley concert.

A Presley aide said there was no particular reason for coming to Des Moines - it was just part of a 15-day nationwide tour of cities Presley hadn't appeared in for a while.

Courtesy of Archie Bald