 Elvis – The Concert @ Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL, USA Part concert, part laser light show, part revival meeting, "Elvis
– The Concert" was a spectacle only the 90s could have produced.
Essentially recreating a typical early 70s Elvis show, this tour has the
distinction of being perhaps the only time a major artist has performed
in many cites twenty years posthumous. On stage, Elvis's original
backing band (The TCB band) is joined by his original backing singers
(The Sweet Inspirations and the Jordannaires) along with many members of
his original orchestra – while a twenty-five foot projection screen
flanked by two slightly smaller screens broadcasts live footage of
Elvis. Through a bit of electronic trickery, they were able to isolate
Elvis's vocal track from the original footage so that the band can play
live, with Elvis piped in through the sound system. Essentially, this is
an Elvis concert at which Elvis himself is not physically on stage.
The resulting experience was nowhere near as cheesy as it should
have been, and in fact was pretty awe-inspiring at times. The concert
footage was chosen so that Elvis is seen in the best possible
light – older but not fat and yucky, and for the most part, not
half-assing his vocals. And the jumpsuits were incredible. We had a bit
of disagreement in my entourage as to which jumpsuit was the most
impressive – I chose the light blue one coupled with the truly big hair,
while others opted for the trimmer white one with the open chest and
large belt – but what mattered most here was that the fans got a feel for
what Elvis was like on stage. Not Elvis, "but an incredible
simulation" … Elvismania.
Aside from seeing Elvis on screen, the concert provided great
thrills in seeing Elvis's band playing synced up to footage of themselves
twenty-five years ago, when they all had a lot more hair and a lot less
belly. Surprisingly, their clothes looked mostly better in the 70s
footage. But they could still play like a mutherfucker, especially James
Burton on guitar and the fat guy on drums. Personally, I enjoyed seeing
Stax legends the Sweet Inspirations on stage, still belting it out. The
great thing is, everyone involved seemed to be genuinely loving it – it
totally didn't come off like a big cash-in.
So how was the King? Awesome, blending a somewhat crazy sense of
humor with the occasional straightforwardness. Consummate showman. Made
Sinatra look like my grandpa (aside from my grandpa already sort of
looking like Sinatra). Highlights included the expected favorites
("Suspicious Minds," "In the Ghetto," "Can't Help Falling in Love") and
an "American Trilogy" that almost had the whole place weeping.
Interspersed were clips of Elvis hamming it up, singing into six
microphones simultaneously, and kissing thirty women in the space of one
song, while continuing to sing. Hilarious stuff.
An added bonus was seeing the would-be Elvises in the crowd
clearly enjoying themselves, especially the one guy right in front of us
who watched the event as though he were proud of it. Meanwhile, a couple
of gospel interludes paid tribute to the King in what could only be
described as an argument for beatification. This tour is a step toward
Elvis becoming a religion, and judging from the thousands of (mostly
female) audience members, he's got a big head start. Christ didn't have
so many ho's in the beginning!
An evening well spent. A bit surreal, but with a
little suspension of disbelief, you were watching Elvis. I didn't even
have to put on my irony goggles to enjoy it. It's time I put those
things away anyway. Nah.
Review by Bob Fortuna |