All Elvis, All the Time

That was our motto this past weekend and I was okay with that except for at about 5 a.m. on Sunday morning, when I just had to go downstairs in my pyjamas and ask one of my fellow guests who was sitting out on the balcony chatting with a visiting neighbour if we could please finally turn down the volume on the All Elvis Sirius satellite station since it was so early in the morning (luckily, none of the neighbours had called the cops on us, even with the windows wide open to the perfect summer evening - guess they were fans too!). Considering that this gentleman was still 2.5 hours away from heading to bed, I was surprised he agreed but he did and that made it all better. Plus Sunday morning means Elvis does gospel music on Sirius (broadcast live from Graceland, of course) so that was easier to take as the morning progressed and we all slept late.

But really, it was a great weekend. A lot of fun was had by all in our group of 5, each of us newbies to the Elvis Festival. A grand total of 125 "tribute artists" (you're not supposed to call them "impersonators") performed, with the winner moving on to compete in Memphis. I'm pretty sure we didn't see all of them perform (nor does the winner look familiar) but we sure did see a lot of them. It took a while for my brain to get used to seeing them anywhere and everywhere, at the grocery store, in front of the drug store, standing beside you in the jumpsuit booth in vendor alley, but after the first day, it seemed quite normal to be surrounded by men (and a few women, one by the name of Michellelvis) dressed like The King. All of the ones we spoke to, and there were several, were very friendly and gracious, quite willing to chat or pose for photos.

The variety of costumes was amazing, all based on what category the artists were competing in, i.e. the early years or the concert years. For example, there were several wearing suits and ties from the late 50's (think of the Ed Sullivan appearances), the hot black leather outfit from the '68 comeback concert and of course, the white pantsuits (in dozens of variations) from the later years - you get the idea. The Elvises themselves came in every size, shape, age and nationality. The youngest one we saw perform was only 5 years old and man, he was good. Even Tim Horton's got in on the act, with their gingerbread King Kookie!

To my friend Lyn, I have to say, "thank you, thank you very much" for hosting us so well. We stayed at her condo and surprisingly, they even held a dance in the condo complex on Saturday night featuring their very own resident Elvis, who just happens to have his own band called The Boomerangs. They were fantastic, playing all sorts of oldies rock and roll music, and we all had a blast meeting some of Lyn's neighbours and watching the various generations (from babes in arms to octogenarians - the 90 year olds got sent home after the end of the 2nd set) hang out and have fun. It was actually the highlight of the weekend for me!