EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

This afternoon, I saw Baz Luhrmann's film EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert. 

Almost fifty years after he died, Elvis still blew my mind. 

I've been an Elvis fan for a long time, although I had those punk years when I didn't really want much to do with him...not because I hated him, but because I was focused on other things. When I was growing up, lots of people in my family loved Elvis: my Mom because of his gospel records, some of her sisters because Elvis was just plain hot and they loved all his records. 

Naturally, I saw Baz Luhrmann's Elvis biopic starring Austin Butler as Elvis, and I loved it. As much as I loved it, I think I loved this film even more. 

We get to see tons of rare archival footage in this movie, much of which I had never seen before. The best thing about it is that Luhrmann brings out Elvis's human, funny, humble, and caring side. The man became a myth to a certain extent, but he was still a poor kid from Tupelo who made it big because of his looks, his voice, and his charisma. 

And oh lawd, what charisma. I was sitting between my two sisters for the movie, and we looked at each other a couple of times, like, "Whew!" I think I fanned myself a couple of times. 

This movie showed a side of Elvis that we rarely got to see: his rehearsals with his Vegas band were especially fun to watch. It was obvious that he loved music, loved to perform, and he wanted to give the people who came to see him a genuine show. He performed relentlessly and had fun with his band and backup singers. I think it's fair to say that a lot of performers get to that level and just start phoning it in, but he took it seriously and gave it his all. The final scene shows him being hustled into an elevator right after a performance, sweaty, disheveled, exhausted...he bows his head, but he has a smile on his face. 

And can I just give a big "fuck you" to "Colonel" Tom Parker, who stopped Elvis from performing around the world? That would have been an amazing opportunity for Elvis and I think audiences in England, Europe, Japan—you name it—would have loved him. 

I've talked to people who think that Elvis is "overrated," mainly because he didn't write his own songs. I expressed my disagreement with this in the most vociferous terms (if you know me, you know), and I'll say it again: Elvis was one of the greatest performers of all time. I don't care that he didn't write his own songs. He brought music to people in a way that no one had done before. There's a snippet of an interview early in the movie when someone asks him about his music, and he says that his music is a combination of all kinds of different music, including country, gospel, and rhythm & blues. That is the very definition, the ORIGIN, of rock and roll. Those are the three main elements that are the nucleus of rock and roll. Did other people do it before him? Probably. But he brought it to the masses in a form that they could accept...and keep in mind that that was a very segregated time in America. Elvis brought black music to a white audience, and music was never the same. Would there still be rock and roll without Elvis? Or would it have fizzled out? I'm not sure that's an answerable question. I think it's fair to say that it would be different if it weren't for Elvis. 

How many people in the history of music have actually changed music? Brought it to new ears? Pushed the boundaries, influenced countless others, remain an influence fifty years after they died? It's not a huge list.

Overrated, my ass! 

I think it's worth a mention that I go to Sunday afternoon matinees fairly often, and I have never seen a theater this full on a Sunday afternoon. Not every seat was occupied, but it was a fairly full theater. 

Elvis. Still putting butts in seats and still one hell of a thrill! 

Everybody in the whole cell block

Ken was off to Wisconsin today for a few days, so I occupied myself this afternoon with a visit to the fabulous State Theater to watch a showing of “Jailhouse Rock.” I met our friend Doug downtown, and it was his first time back to the State since it reopened recently.

As you can see, I came prepared, with my Elvis shirt that I got in Memphis at a gift shop across the street from Graceland!

We chatted with Drew and Mara for a bit, and got to meet Trish. I saw our old couch, and both Drew and Mara said that it is super comfortable, and Drew has even fallen asleep on it a few times! So happy that it has found a new home. Drew said I could take Doug up to the balcony and let him see that, which was a nice treat, since the balcony is usually off-limits. When you get up to the balcony, you get an idea of the size of the theater. I asked Mara, and she said that the original capacity, with the balcony and everything, was around 1,800. That’s a big theater!

It was especially fun to be seeing “Jailhouse Rock.” First of all, you all know that I’m a huge Elvis fan. Second, I had never seen it on the big screen before. It’s fun to catch older movies on the big screen. It gives you a whole new perspective. Third, it was a good tie-in to my History of Rock online course. The prof did an entire lecture on The Rise of Elvis, and recently mentioned the Elvis movies and cited “Jailhouse Rock” as one of the best. Of course, I loved hearing the music, and that Jailhouse Rock dance scene is one kicky blast, Daddy-O! I also loved seeing the mid-century modern furnishings and decor of the late ‘50s in the movie. Far out!

The main goal of this matinee was as an outing for a couple of downtown retirement/housing communities, one of them housed in the former Robertson’s department store building. The crowd was sparse, but I hope word gets out that it was fun. I’ll do my best to get the word out for the next movie! (More about that in a moment.)

After the movie, a local Elvis impersonator did a few songs. Doug and I grinned about the lady in the front row who was swaying and knew all the words to the songs. Then, what was really sweet...a lady involved with the housing community asked a few of the folks to share their “Elvis encounters.” One lady had open heart surgery in Indianapolis, in the early days of open heart surgery. Elvis was playing a show there and came to visit her! One guy was a kid in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and his Dad delivered telegrams for a living. He was along when his Dad delivered a telegram to Elvis, and said that Elvis was really nice.

Finally, the lady that Doug and I noticed in the front row. Mary said that she saw Elvis at Notre Dame (the same show that Shane went to!), and one of the security guards noticed her crying when Elvis opened with “My Way.” He came over and got her and took her up to the edge of the stage. Elvis came over to her, got down on a knee, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and put his scarf around her neck. After the song was over, he told the security guard to make sure that she got back to her seat and that NO ONE tried to take that scarf from her. Mary said that she still has it in a cabinet, and it still smells faintly of Elvis’s Brut cologne.

The reverence in her voice, and the memory that Elvis gave her...well, I teared up a little when hearing it, and I’m tearing up a little as I write this! He had his faults, just like any other human being, but he gave Mary a memory that she cherishes to this day. From everything I’ve read, he was a kind man who appreciated his fans, and I love him even more for giving Mary such a wonderful memory. That’s something special, you know?

As for October’s movie, those of us in attendance got to vote on it. There were some good choices, but the one that jumped out immediately for me and Doug was “The Blob.” Drew announced after the show that the people have spoken…”The Blob” it is! How fun will that be? I’ve never seen that one on the big screen, either! I exchanged a few messages with Drew, and he said he’d like to have a more formal start to the movie, maybe have a brief discussion about it, ask who has seen it, that sort of thing. I think that’s a great idea, and we both agreed that trivia about various movies can be a lot of fun and add to the movie and make it a richer viewing experience. So I’m going to do a little Blob research and see what I can scare up...so to speak!

It was a very enjoyable afternoon. Thanks to Doug for going with me, and thanks to Drew and everyone involved for doing this for the folks downtown—and for the rest of us!

Please enjoy one of my favorite Elvis songs. This song still makes me want to shake it, and this is a great clip with some groovy dancing and super cool outfits! Check out the ginger in the brown vest and orange shirt. Work it, Ginger!

TURN IT UP!

A world gone mad

I’m trying really hard to find my Happy Place™ today.

Everything started off well, I was having a mellow day, and although I caught the news of the latest shooting—the LATEST!—online, I chose not to turn on the news at all. I just got my updates online and tried not be be immersed in it.

However, later I posted an update on Facebook, something to the effect of how there will be the usual outpouring of rage and disgust, but we’ll end up doing exactly nothing, just like we always do. A few friends commented, and then there was a comment from someone (now a former friend) about how it’s our mentality as a nation (he’s not from here) and he hoped he offended some liberals, and liberals can “suck it.” My friend of at least 15 years, Raquel, told him to fuck off.

Then the shit really hit the fan. He called her a “dullard,” another friend weighed in and didn’t like what he had to say, so he attacked HER and called her ignorant, called liberals assholes, and blah di fucking blah. That was it for me, and I said that you don’t get to come on an avowed liberal’s page and say “I hope I offend some liberals” and then get offended yourself when said liberals tell you to fuck off! Defriended and blocked. Then I got a message from an alternative account of his, rather threatening and quite creepy. Also blocked.

Somebody’s off their meds. I’ve never seen anyone react so virulently to Facebook nastiness. It was ridiculous, and good riddance. Way to harsh my mellow, dude. I don’t need or want the drama, so seriously...piss off.

After that, I tried to settle down a bit by watching more of my online class videos, and I enjoyed those quite a bit. One of the things the History of Rock prof talked about was TV and movies in the ‘50s, and how rock and roll began to be marketed. He mentioned the Elvis movie “Jailhouse Rock,” and that’s especially fun, because I’m going to a showing of that movie with our friend Doug tomorrow afternoon! It’s going to be at the fabulous State Theater, and I’m looking forward to it. If anything will get me in a happy mood, it will be this!

Beth’s Music Moment: The Case for Elvis

A while back, I was emailing with my buddy Jim. I worked with him at the lab, and he’s the guitarist for Cornerstone Blues Band. If I recall, this was before we went to see the Stones in Chicago, so I was in full-blown Stonesmania. I believe I said something about requesting a Stones song next time we see them play, and he told me they didn’t know any Stones songs, and he was just never that much into them. I was like what-WHAT?! Dude, you play in a BLUES band, how can you not do any Stones songs?! (I believe they have been working on one since then...we shall see if they play it next time we’re out to see them!) He then went on to tell me that he thought Elvis Presley is one of the most over-rated performers ever.

I was like, “Man, are you trying to get me to end our friendship? What’s next, you don’t like Johnny Cash?!” We had a good laugh about it, and of course, I would never end our friendship. But I will work on getting him to come around about the Stones, and with this entry, I’m going to try to get him to see reason on Elvis. This is prompted by a couple of the videos I watched for my History of Rock course today, in which the guy talked about “The Rise of Elvis.” I wish I could include the video here, but it is part of the course and not embeddable or linkable. I’ll try to summarize.

Elvis was basically a super-talented guy who was in the right place at the right time. Born in Mississippi, raised in Memphis, he was influenced by all three musical genres that converged in rock and roll: mainstream pop, country & western, and rhythm & blues. His first record was “That’s All Right (Mama),” a blues song sung with a country twang, and the B-side was “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” the famous Bill Monroe bluegrass song, sung with an R&B feel to it. He was really the first artist to blend these sounds together, paving the way for the explosion of rock and roll. There is a case to be made that he took black music and made it acceptable to whites, but this was not an exploitation of the music. He simply loved the music, and it influenced his style. There is a big difference between ripping off an artist and their music, and genuinely loving the music and having it influence you.

Elvis was the first artist to have hit records on all three Billboard charts: pop, C&W, and R&B. This is a remarkable achievement, and it shows the convergence of these styles into a new and powerful type of music.

Elvis did not write his own songs, so there is some disparagement of him for that. Unwarranted disparagement, in my book. He was emerging from an era in which many mainstream pop artists did not write their own music, and his talent was in being a charismatic performer with a great voice, like Sinatra.

I think it’s important to keep in mind the time frame here, too. Rock and roll was just beginning to be a force; white teenagers were listening to black music; teenagers themselves were finding a new niche as they began to rebel and decided that they wanted to make their own fun. Enter Elvis, with his dark good looks, that mop of hair hanging in his face, that bad boy sneer, the southern drawl, and those swiveling hips. Once people got a look at him on TV, he was an immediate star. His somewhat dangerous, smoldering sexuality made teenage girls swoon—literally. Perhaps his performances seem outdated to some now, but not to me. He has a raw power that just leaps out at the audience. THAT is charisma, and he had a ton of it.

I mean, look at him. Just LOOK at him. Good grief.

This clip of Elvis performing “Hound Dog” on “The Milton Berle Show” is worth a watch. It will make you think, “And people thought Milton Berle was funny because..?” Although I did catch the “You don’t want a girl...you want a Miltown” reference. Miltowns were kind of like quaaludes. Interesting that they got a mention on this show! What is impressive here is that young Elvis just OOZED sex appeal. When he slows down the band and does a raunchy bump n' grind to the song, I guarantee that teenage ovaries were exploding all across America. I bet a few Mom ovaries were exploding, too! He was condemned by parents everywhere for his dancing and performance, which only made him more attractive to America’s youth. He was dangerous. Elvis’s power and ultimate talent was to harness this incredible energy that was emerging in America, and channel it back to the audience in his performances. I honestly can’t watch this without getting chills, because this is basically the birth of rock and roll. Many musical elements converged in rock and roll and in Elvis’s performances, but HE was the one who brought it to the masses. HE was the one who broke it open for subsequent performers, and got radio stations to play this emerging force in music.

I maintain that Elvis was the performer who made it all possible, and brought rock and roll to the forefront of music. No Elvis...no rock and roll. At least not as we know it. And that’s a world I wouldn’t want to live in.

I rest my case.

And now…a song

I ran errands this morning and got a little behind on stuff, so while I continue to work on getting my Chicago pictures sorted out (Cubs game coming to this space soon!), please enjoy this musical interlude. It’s a sweet song from Green Day called “F.O.D.” This is not a message to any of my friends, by any means! I just dig the attitude.

Something's on my mind
It's been for quite some time
This time I'm on to you
So where's the other face?
The face I heard before
Your head trip's boring me

Let's nuke the bridge we torched
2,000 times before
This time we'll blast it all to hell
I've had this burning in my guts now
For so long
My belly's aching now to say

Stuck down in a rut of dislogic and smut
A side of you well hid
When it's all said and done
It's real and it's been fun
But was it all REAL fun?

You're just a fuck
I can't explain it 'cause I think you suck
I'm takin' pride
In telling you to fuck off and die

Goood niiiiiiiiight…




Then I was thinking that nobody does the rage face sneer like Billie Joe...but then I thought of some other guys.






And THEN I made you a poll. Who doesn’t love a good pollin’, amirite? If you vote for “Other,” you have to be fair and say who you think does the Sneer better.

Who has the best sneer?

Billy Idol

Billie Joe Armstrong

Elvis Presley

Sid Vicious

Other

Please Specify:

free polls

Livin' on Vegas time

I don't know if it's all the vampire movies we've been watching, or just the anticipation of the late hours in Vegas, but we've been staying up till the wee hours and sleeping very late! It's cool, we know that we'll be staying up late in Vegas, so I'm kind of glad we're getting acclimated. Personally, I think Vegas is much more exciting at night (I love all the lights and neon!), so I'd much rather be wide awake at 2 AM than at 2 PM!

Speaking of 2 PM, we have a nice little visit planned for Wednesday with a fellow blogger! It turns out that Marty of Heard at Starbuck's is flying into town that day for a convention, and we arranged to meet at 2 PM! I hadn't said anything yet, because I wanted to make sure that it was going to work out for him (I told him that we're on vacation, so we're flexible!), and barring any unforeseen last minute glitches, we'll be meeting in one of the bars at the Bellagio. It worked out perfectly, because we're staying right across the Strip at Bally's! I'm looking forward to meeting him and chatting with him in person. I'm actually a little bit nervous, because this will be the first time we've met a blogger in person! Although we did meet our New York friend RaQuel a few years ago, after she and I had corresponded for a few years, and that went great, and we're still friends! Marty seems like such a cheery, interesting, and funny guy, and I have a feeling we'll all get along fine and dandy. I'm sure a Bloody Mary will help alleviate my nervousness! [wink]

But before our meeting, we've got plenty going on, including front row seats for "Love" (the Cirque du Soleil show with Beatles music), a tour of the Neon Museum's Boneyard (where aging signs go to retire), and a seafood buffet probably Tuesday night after the Boneyard. I suspect we'll be able to fit a little gambling in there, as well!We've been practicing Blackjack on Facebook, and it's good to hone our skills a bit before sitting down at an actual table. Except just like in real life, there is always a dumbass or two in the bunch...one guy last night hit on 19. I was thinking, "Dude, WTF? You had 19!" Kind of reminded me of Austin Powers. Didn't he hit on 20? Hahaha!

Speaking of Facebook, one of the reasons we've been staying up so late is because we've both become hooked on Mafia Wars. Milwaukee Dan #2 invited me, I invited Ken, and now we're both hooked. Dan is a Level 14 Mogul, Ken is a Level 12 Mogul, and I'm a Level 10 Maniac. Miss Ginger, Mort, and Barbara have also joined the Family, and they've all had my back several times! Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to save me this afternoon when we were out running errands. Turns out a little weasel named Archie put out a hit on me, and someone whacked me. Jeez, just because I fought him until I took all his money? Well, as Mark Twain said, reports of my death are greatly exaggerated, and I'm back at full strength and ready to carry on with my duties. Watch your back, Archie, whoever you are. Extra Arm doesn't forget.

In the meantime, I've got pretty much everything out that I want to take to Vegas. It was kind of hard to pack for this trip, because we're leaving cold Indiana for Vegas, which will be in the 50's during the day, but get down into the 30's at night. I've got enough variety with jeans, slacks, sweaters, and even a Hawaiian shirt, that I should be okay. I wish I didn't have to take a winter coat, but I know how cold I get!

We got in a Vegas frame of mind last night by watching "Ocean's Thirteen." I know 12 and 13 weren't as good as "Ocean's Eleven" (and I love the original with the Rat Pack!) but I still think the movies are a blast. C'mon...Clooney, Brad Pitt, AND Matt Damon? I'm just sayin'. Anyhoo, it was fun to see the Strip and to start to get into the mood. After the movie, I found the trailer for "Viva Las Vegas," and it is a kicky blast! It shows a lot of downtown (which is our favorite part of Vegas), and it's sad to see how many legendary casinos are now gone. The Mint that was downtown was such a cool building! Quite a few of the downtown casinos have survived, including Binion's Horseshoe and the Golden Nugget (and my personal fave, the Golden Gate). So many on the Strip are gone, though--the Aladdin, the Stardust, the Desert Inn, the Sands, and the "champagne tower" at the Flamingo shown in the trailer are all history. The new casinos and hotels are beautiful, but I'm old school and love the allure of the old, glamorous Vegas. I'm sure that's why I love downtown so much--those casinos have been there for decades. And Vegas Vic abides!

We're taking the laptop, both of our cameras, and my little Flip video camera, so stay tuned for the sights and sounds of Vegas, Baby! In the meantime, sing along with Elvis!

Viva Las Vegas

Bright light city gonna set my soul
Gonna set my soul on fire
Got a whole lot of money that's ready to burn
So get those stakes up higher
There's a thousand pretty women waitin' out there
And they're all livin' devil may care
And I'm just the devil with love to spare
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas


How I wish that there were more
Than the twenty-four hours in the day
'Cause even if there were forty more
I wouldn't sleep a minute away
Oh, there's blackjack and poker and the roulette wheel
A fortune won and lost on every deal
All you need's a strong heart and a nerve of steel
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas


Viva Las Vegas with your neon flashin'
And your one arm bandits crashin'
All those hopes down the drain
Viva Las Vegas turnin' day into nighttime
Turnin' night into daytime
If you see it once
You'll never be the same again


I'm gonna keep on the run
I'm gonna have me some fun
If it costs me my very last dime
If I wind up broke up well
I'll always remember that I had a swingin' time
I'm gonna give it everything I've got
Lady luck please let the dice stay hot
Let me shoot a seven with every shot
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas
Viva, Viva Las Vegas!