Fever Pitch And Then King Elvis
by Tom Healy
The Indianapolis News
October 7, 1974
Imagine being able to walk on stage and be the object of screams of adulation from females, and even some males, of all ages and knowing that in their eyes you could do no wrong.
This would give one a glimpse of what Elvis Presley must feel like every time he sets foot on stage.
A jammed to the rafters crowd of Presley fans, willing to brave the traffic, ticket prices, souvenirs hawkers and blinding camera flash cubes, showed up at the Expo Center Saturday afternoon to give vociferous support to the king.
The fans had to wait an hour after the show started to actually see the king. No doubt it was worth it to them as evidenced by the screams that greeted Elvis when he walked on stage after the closing strains of "Also Sprach Zarathustra".
An emcee with a voice like Froderick Crawford's began hawking all manner of goodies for the Presleyphilliacs while the band was tuning. A short set of songs was sung by one of Presley's backup groups, and a comedian followed. After this came a set by the Sweet Impressions, a group of soul sisters who sing in Presley's show.
Things had build up to a fever pitch and one would have thought the crowd had been told Presley wasn't going to show from listening to their anxiety-tinged buzzing just before the emcee announced intermission.
After what seemed like hours before Presley emerged on stage, the emcee asked everyone to clear the aisles and return to their seats. The ensuing rush was comical at best, and dangerous, if one happened to be slow afoot.
Tension mounted even higher, and then Elvis emerged.
Accompanied by his complete entourage, including, a horn section, backup combo and vocalists, Elvis sang some oldies, some new tunes and some borrowed ones.
At times Elvis was inaudible. but his singing on the whole was smooth and mellow, the mark of a seasoned professional. The backup musicians were excellent and provided a tight background, despite the echoes of the Expo Center.
He graciously walked around the stage, giving the Kodak set ample opportunity to take pictures and tossed scarves left and right to the eager fans in the front row.
Elvis wiggled comparatively little, but a mere suggestion was enough to draw squeals of delight from the crowd.
At the climax of his show, he actually touched some folks hands. He made a final parade lap around the stage to give everyone a final glimpse before he retreated backstage.
It would be interesting to note that even with the security usually accorded a visiting chief of state, nothing was done to subdue the tidal wave rush in the waning moments of the show.
Elvis didn't seem to put out too much in the first show, probably because he was saving some for the evening show but nonetheless., the crowd was undeniably pleased.
Review courtesy of Francesc Lopez
Was That Really Elvis Presley at The Expo Center?
by Rita Rose
The Indianapolis Star
October 7, 1974
HO-HUM, Elvis Presley was in town Saturday. Remember him? The King of rock 'n' roll?
Tickets to his two sell-out concerts at the Expo Center were grabbed up way in advance, which is typical for an Elvis concert. His fans were excited as they descended on the building armed with cameras and homemade clothes with their idol's picture on them.
As everyone left the afternoon performance, there were a lot of subdued faces, which is NOT typical for an Elvis concert. Things like "rip-off" and "I don't believe it" were being muttered.
HARD AS IT may be to fathom, the King just didn't hack it. The flair with which he entertained us at the Coliseum two-and a half years ago was only just a memory. We even went too far as to wonder if this man on the stage was an impostor, and hope that the REAL Elvis was going to come bursting on stage, cape swirling, any minute.
Even staunch Elvis fans (and there are millions of them) were disappointed. One who has been to several performances in the area over the last few years, commented that he "was either sick or had a hangover"
The only hangover we saw the one he had over his belt, which incidentally fell off at the start of the show, much to everyone's delight.
He opened his half of the show with "C.C. Rider," accompanied by the usual sea of flashbulbs and screams. When several fans on one side of the concert hall yelled that they couldn't see, Elvis made himself popular by asking his back-up singers to move their chairs.
Then he progressed to other familiar hits - "Blue Suede Shoes," "Fever," "Hound Dog," "All Shook Up," "Heartbreak Hotel,""Love Me Tender," "Hawaiian Wedding Song," "Poke Salad Annie" and his new song, "It's Midnight" and "I Miss You"
IT HAD the makings of a fine concert, but the only one who got their money's worth were the ones in the first few rows.
First of all, the acoustics (or lack of them) in the Expo Center are horrible. Echo chambers may be all right for records, but not for live concerts. It was fortunate that the amplifiers were suspended above the stage on a platform - too many times fans pay top tickets prices and end up with a $10 view of a speaker - but even that didn't help.
Secondly, lack of enthusiasm of Elvis' part was obvious as he paced around the stage, mumbling into the microphone so no one outside of a five-foot radius could hear him.
He spent a lot of time conversing with his musicians and singers, which usually drowned him out when he DID sing. It seemed more like a dress rehearsal than a concert.
Between songs, Elvis doesn't keep the show moving with glib, witty conversation. All he has to do is look at the box-office receipts to know that fans will be satisfied with paying to see him wiggle his legs and throw sweaty scarves to excited females crowded around the stage. He never sings a song all the way through - just segments of each one.
Somehow, we expected more for our money.
IT'S RARE when warm-up acts out-perform the headliner, especially when it's Elvis Presley. But the Voices trio, Sweet Inspirations and comedian Jackie Kahane, with his Elvis jokes, put forth valiant performances. J.D. Sumner of the Stamps, with his deep deep voice, was another highlight.
Okay, so maybe Elvis wasn't feeling good. We hope that's the only reason for the bad show. It would disappoint a lot of fans if the King were to be dethroned.
Review courtesy of Francesc Lopez
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