Female Screams Mute Even Drums, Trumpets.
By Larry Carson
The Evening Sun
Baltimore, November 10, 1971

The drumbeats and the trumpets rose in volume to a crescendo for the introduction of Elvis Presley last night at the Civic Center, but it was all drowned out.

The voices of hundreds of screaming women rose even higher in volume, accompanied by the pop of hundreds more flashcubes, lighting up the huge arena as the surly Elvis strode on stage and began his first bing 1950's hit, "It's All Right."

More than 13,000 fans, from age 5 to at least 55, and almost exclusively white, had waited through the Introductory acts, the singing Sweet Imitations, a comedian called Jack Cahane and an intermission, when they were urged for the third time to "Get your full length color Elvis poster for only $2 now before they are all gone."

Trashy Joke

The huge throng had chuckled through Mr. Cahane's retinue of jokes. For instance, Mr. Cahane asked his teen-age son to "take out the garbage," and the youth replied, bouncing on his legs and snapping his fingers, "Man, it's your bag."

Some griped about the hour wait, and others about seats high in the upper deck, but it all stopped when the 36 year old "King" of rock 'n' roll stepped out in his white bellbottoms and waistcoat with gold brocade cape, high collar and bright red scarf.

And each twitch of that, famous left leg, brought another chorus of frenzied screams, as did his thrusting swings of arms and legs, and his partial splits at the closing of several songs.

"Help me make it through the night," he crooned during one song, as a female fan nearby cried "Unnnh! Unnnh! Unnh! Anytime Elvis!

Elvis threw his scarf off the stage and security guards bounced to their feet as a flock of women rushed the stage, fighting for the precious material. Elvis cooly donned another from his supply behind the piano.

The gyrating star of 1950's rise of rock'n'roll music clearly had his old appeal. He also had some new appeal, picked up in this decade of social conflict and change when unlike many other stars he stayed on top.

"He's clean, there's never been a scandal," District Court Judge Edward Hardesty commented as he entered with his wife and John Nuffer 3d, a deputy sheriff in Baltimore city.

"He's Just Got It"

"He's just got it," Mrs. Hardesty chimed in, beaming.

"He's a clean cut all-American boy who came up the hard way," Deputy Nuffer added with pride.

A crowd of perhaps 100 persons waited for 45 minutes before the show at the vehicle entrance to the Civic Center. They waited in chilly Hopkins place for a glimpse or a wave, or even maybe a touch from Elvis.

"All they gotta do is stop his limousine and there will be trouble," one woman told her husband.

Most people remained non violent than as later, as Elvis went through a few of his older hits, such as "Heartbreak Hotel," "Love Me Tender," and "Blue Hawaii," but stuck mostly to more modern ones, like "Johnny B. Good," by Chuck Berry, "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," by Simon and Garfunkel and even a few first done by Joan Baez.

He sang for just over one hour, took one bow, returned for one curtain call, and was gone.

Courtesy of Geoffrey McDonnell