🍌 Four ways to celebrate Elvis Month
AUGUST IS CONSIDERED Elvis Month for a bunch of various, mostly contrived reasons. But in Las Vegas, August does in fact have some plausible Elvic mojo: It was here in August 1969 (okay, fine, technically July 31, 1969) that Elvis launched his return to performing live after an eight-year absence from the stage.
It was kind of a big deal. The International Hotel (today the Westgate) would be the site where Elvis – at the time, largely considered a faded pop idol mostly known for cornball movies – strove to re-establish his rep for being able to rock. And over the next seven years, he'd perform a positively Olympic run of more than 600 sellout shows that would forge the template for the Las Vegas residency and enshrine his mythos as The King.
Of course, his comeback era in Las Vegas would curdle into decrepitude, corpulence, and gross self-parody – which, to me, is the true valence of Vegas: Its capacity to induce entropy and decay. By 1975, pale, overweight, panting Elvis was struggling through songs and leaning on his band for solos to carry him through sets. Variety magazine wrote of his August 18, 1975 show:
"Presley may be suffering from a continuing physical disability. His overweight condition and lack of stamina, poor vocal projection may spring from such a malady. ... In addition, he lumbers around in travesties of earlier quick karate moves or trademark pelvic gyrations.”
Thus, August marks not only the month of Elvis' renewal, but also the season of his decline. Whatever Elvis trope, variant, or morphology you're drawn to, there are plenty of ways to observe Elvis month.
Big Elvis
August 16: The Composers Room is hosting an entire Elvis-themed day with food and drink specials that pay homage to The King, memorabilia displays, and a show by final-form tribute artist Big Elvis.
Rockin' Elvis
August 16: You might know Danny Koker as the gearhead guru of Counting Cars, you might know him as late-night cheese-horror host Count Cool Rider, or you might know him as rock 'n' rolling proprietor of lively metal club Vamp'd Rock Bar & Grill, where Koker and his band Count's 77 will perform a full Elvis tribute set August 16.
Triple Threat Elvis
August 23-25: The Westgate is hosting an epic three nights of Elvis tributes, featuring performers who rep all the Kingly flavors from '56 heartthrob to the late-stage peanut butter Harkonnen karate-chopper that characterized his legendary run at The International.
Couture Elvis
September 7: While the '70s are Elvis' prime Vegas era, he also toured during that time, showcasing his infamously blingy jumpsuits. That's tribute artist Bob McArthur's specialty: crafting painstaking replicas of The King's costumes from his touring years. He's also known for tossing out scarves and teddy bears, so completist memorabilia hounds, take note. McArthur performs a free show September 7 at Whitney Library. ✦
