Elvis weekend 1: Kingsized's Elvis Memorial Spectacular - 8/16 @ Variety Playhouse
It's about that time again where I write about the Kingsized Elvis show. What is this, like the 8th one I've written about since I started this here bloggery? But then when I sit and think about it, it's been almost 10 years since I've been going to see this show in the first place. That's roughly 17 shows I've seen, give or take. Eventually I'm going to run out of something to say about this. Apparently that hasn't quite happened yet. Or maybe it has and I'm just fooling myself...
My concert timing was stellar because I walked in just before the curtain opened to reveal the Kingsized Orchestra and the Sweet Potato Choir with two giant backdrops of a skeletal King and 'Cilla behind them. Then Mike Geier walked onstage and the show commenced. Having seen this show since the humble beginnings at the Star Bar, it's become much more lavish, more spectacular, more polished...in a word, more Vegas. And this year's death day celebration seemed to be their biggest production to date. They've been doing this so long, they could easily take it easy and coast, but you can tell that they keep trying to outdo themselves and put on a better show each and every time. Gotta respect them for that.
As far as the actual performance, it was top notch. The band sounded great, the back up singers were on their game and Big Mike brought it all together with that powerful voice of his. And of course, you bring the sexy Dames Aflame dancers into the mix and it just gets better. And I might be mistaken, but it looks like the Dames got some new blood into their troupe...some very hot new blood. But the piece de resistance was the one and only El Vez. At first I was under the impression that he was going to open the show, but he didn't appear until 1/2 time, so he was less an opening act and more of a special guest star (if this was a Perry Como Christmas special, he would've been Charo). This was also a special occasion for El Vez, as it was his 20th anniversary as his Mexican Elvis persona. Kind of crazy if you think about it, especially as he doesn't appear to have aged a day. So it was truly a gala event all around. And another solid 2 hour performance, so you totally got your money's worth. And their surprise encore performance was none other than Styx's "Come Sail Away"...trust me, it worked.
Then as the massive, sold out crowd of very annoying post-yuppies (what the hell do you call yuppies once they're in their 40s & 50s?!?) departed, finally made sight of Chris and Cathleen as they were making their way out. And hung out with them for a bit. I used to see a whole bunch of people I know at this show, but as the crowds got bigger and more annoying, the less they started showing up (i.e. my friend Diana). That or the tickets all got bought out by the post-yuppies before they could get one, which also seems a likely scenario, as I, like a lot of my friends, usually wait until the last minute to plan anything. Personally, I still think it's worth putting up with a room full of annoying people as long as I get to enjoy a night of Elvis and Elvis-like music...at least twice a year.