HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW CONCERTS?
This section is for those of you who have seen The New Concerts to share your thoughts and feelings about this incredible experience with all the other fans in the world., and especially with those who never had the opportunity to hear or see The Concerts.
By the way , for those fans who have shared their special memories with us , thank you so much.
European Tour: Sheffield, UK
I had the opportunity to see Elvis-The Concert only yesterday on 31st May 2003.The venue was held at the Hallam FM Arena(formerly the Sheffield Arena) In Sheffield,UK.The atmosphere inside the 14000 seater arena was electric and the months of waiting was worth it!
As the lights went down and the turqoise curtain covering the band glistened and the band started the first towering notes of Space Odyssey 2001 I felt a shiver run up my spine.Elvis was about to enter for his next step of his European Tour and as the curtain dropped revealing the band on walked the man we'd all been waiting for.Larger than any other artist in the world...quite literally!The four primary members of the TCB band were there headed by James Burton with Jerry Scheff,Glen D. Hardin and Ronnie Tutt.Lets not forget Mr Joe Guercio.
Elvis thrusted into C.C Rider and then Burnin' Love followed by more songs from the Aloha Concert before moving onto That's The Way It Is.Elvis looked great in all of the songs and really gave his best especially during 'Mountain','Loving Feelin','Bridge','Trilogy' and so much more.
The Band were brilliant in their timing and you could tell they were enjoying it. Especially James Burton!He sure knows how to rock!The Sweet Inspirations were giving their all and so were the marvellous Ed Enoch and The Golden Covenant. Both delivering great renditions of Sweet Inspiration and Sweet Sweet Spirit.The whole show was amazing to watch.It was just like Elvis was actually there and there were as many flashbulbs from cameras going off as in the 70's.
I told my friends and my dad (who I went with) that I would get something special from the concert (apart from the £110 worth of memorabilia!) and once the show had finished and Elvis had left the building, the band were shaking hands of fans who just wanted to touch a piece of the whole Elvis Entourage.I fought my way to the front as security pushed people back i waded through and made it to the front.i was on the right hand side of the stage while Jerry Scheff and Glen Hardin and James Burton were shaking hands on the other side.i moved across and tried to shake James Burtons hand as he was on his way to leaving the stage.I shouted him twice by his first name and he stopped,looked at ME and threw his plectrum to ME!
As i tried to catch it i dropped it and in a frenzy looked to the floor for it. A kind cameraman pointed to it and security quickly retrieved it and gave it to me!i stood there shaking for what seemed like a lifetime and all the way home...i had a piece of history and a piece of elvis personal entourage's possession.I'd seen James Burton strum with this small but most valuable piece of plastic all concert and it was here in my hand!I felt honoured he'd given it to me and am forever grateful!This Concert is amazing and if it ever comes near you then make sure you go and see it because it would be a crime not to!
Wes Turner,Sheffield,UK
Hamburg, Germany 1998
I am from the Netherlands and I heard of Elvis The Concert European tour. But they first did Germany and later Holland, we couldn't wait. My brother knew some people in Germany and they got us the tickets. We were all on front very nice places.
I am a bass player and also a fan of Jerry Scheff. I brougt a protection sleeve off a Fender bass, this is a part off the bass that Jerry used during playing with Elvis. The show was over and I asked Jerry: can I have your signature on this sleeve? and he did. Super concert.
Thanks,
Gerard Zinger
Wembley Arena, London.
Hi Elvis Fans,
I live in Turkey, in the capital city and two years ago I was able to see
"Elvis The Concert" at Wembley Arena in London on 11th of March 2000. On
23rd of March in 1999 my mother had phoned to the box office to book two
tickets to have good seats and we did it too. I was counting the days,weeks
and months to see my idol ELVIS on stage at an arena.At the same time I
would get a chance to meet my special pen friend from England(Kate) for the
first time during the concert.
And that day was the most exciting day of my life. When we entered the arena I couldn't believe my eyes.Thousands of Elvis fans at every age were there and I think it was a SOLD OUT concert (Wembley arena holds 11.000).
When the lights went down, everbody was screaming,standing and clapping and there he was.While singing "See See Rider" I was in a shock.From our seats we were able to see Elvis'original band and they were absolutely amazing as Elvis himself at that night.During" Just Pretend" both of us were crying and during "Suspicious Minds" both of us were standing and clapping."An American Trilogy, My way (I met him with this song),Never been to Spain" all of them were great.
But when I heard the first lines of "Can't Help Falling in Love" the tears were coming again. It was like a dream and passed very quickly. But after two years(Two days later it's gonna be.)still I can feel the atmosphere of that night. So I thank to my mother(She's not a real Elvis fan but she likes him.)for taking me to London for three days just for the concert. I was also able to meet the cast so that London trip was an event for me. I can just say that:
I'm proud of being an Elvis fan and I'll always will be...
THANK YOU ELVIS ...
Can Balkan -21 years of age
Elvis The Concert in Toronto at the Hummingbird Centre
What can I say - I was blown away by Elvis The Concert in Toronto, a truly amazing show! The show was a complete sell out, not an empty seat in sight. Right from the opening 2001 theme to the closing vamp over two hours later I loved every minute of it. The TCB Band was great, the Imperials voices sang true, the Sweet Inspirations were a crowd favourite (by the way, Myrna Smith is HOT - a truly beautiful woman!) and Joe Guercio and his Orchestra added power and climax to one of the most exciting concert experiences of my life. Elvis may have been dead for 24 years, but he puts on one hell of a show. I have seen Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Tom Jones, Bob Seeger, Ray Charles, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks and countless others, and Elvis The Concert is right up at the top of my favourite shows. Never having seen Elvis while he was alive, I can only imagine what an Elvis concert in the 70's was like.
The look of pure enjoyment on the faces of the band and back up singers was a site to behold. Sitting in the 5th row I could see their faces up close. Jerry Scheff had this smile on his face from his opening bass note that was contageous! Myrna Smith put such energy into her singing and dancing, she was truly enjoying herself. I could go on and on, but sufice to say I highly recommend going to see Elvis The Concert if it comes anywhere near you. I drove five hours to see the show, and it was worth every mile. Keep up the great work James, Ronnie, Jerry, Glen, Myrna, Estelle and Joe...Elvis is smiling up there!
A special thanks to James, Ronnie, Jerry and Myrna for signing my program, it was very nice of all of you to do that, and I truly appreciate it.
Take care,
Paul
PAUL'S ELVIS PAGE
http://members.home.com/paulselvispage/index.html
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Hummingbird Centre in Toronto
Hi there. Just a quick note to say that I attended the August 14th "Elvis - The Concert" at the Hummingbird Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The Hummingbird Centre, situated in Toronto's busy downtown, holds approximately 3000 people and I believe there wasn't a seat empty!
Lots of heavy-duty Elvis fans there of course...with a sprinkling of the die-hard impersonators there in their black wigs and EP sunglasses!
I was absolutely thrilled with the show , the TCB band were awesome. The Sweet Inspirations were in fine voice and so were the Imperials. The entire show was truly the closest thing to seeing a real Elvis concert...you could feel the electricity in the crowd throughout the entire concert ending with a huge standing ovation not only for the musicians but for Elvis himself!
It was a great time...a once in a lifetime event and I recommend this concert to anyone. Even if you aren't the biggest Elvis fan at least go and listen to some of the hottest, slickest, talented musicians around....
Robyn from Canada
Madison Square Garden Concert
I saw the concert last nite at Madsion Square Garden in NY, it was the most amazing thing ive even been too, there was electricity in the air, people on line buying souveniers, what an incredible young crowd, the place was SOLD OUT, there were a few seats on each corner but at intermission, i spoke to someone and they told me the tickets on the corners werent for sale anyway, because from that angle it would be tough to view the screens but were offered, so they considered it a SELL OUT.
When the lights went down i got such chills it was incredible, and then the 2001 space odyssey, and the crowd was cheering, and ready, then the man appears on screen the crowd cheered wildly, burning love got the crowd really into, the band solos, were incredible, the band themselves was incredible the best ive ever heard during all these shows, polk salad annie got the screams going, the slower songs had people gazing crying, suspicious minds had the place in a frenzy, standing ovations, it was incredible, and to see and talk to people who never saw Elvis, or seen this show before, or just like a few songs, and they saw this show today, what they were saying was incredible, the man lives forever, absolutely incredible, whoever gets a chance to see this show DO NOT MISS IT!!!! im not sure how much longer its going to on, i heard rumors that the band are going to retire, but if you have a chance go see it!!!
Im still in awwwe what a show!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE LIVE THE KING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Perry
Rosemont, IL
I just returned from the Chicago (Rosemont,IL.) show. I enjoyed it very much. I was very impressed with how in synch the musicians were to Elvis' voice. It seemed flawless to me. I did notice the video and sound were occasionally not in synch which was mentioned in an earlier post. All in all it was a great show though.
Some highlights for me were...Just Pretend, The Wonder of You, Suspicious Minds, My Way, and An American Trilogy. All of the performers were exceptional!
My only negative comment concerns the size of the venue. The Rosemont Horizon holds approximately 18,000 people. It was not even half full. I would estimate the crowd at around 5,000 people. I am no expert on crowd size but that is my best guess.
This concert should have been booked at a smaller location like the Rosemont Theatre. It would have been more intimate, a guaranteed sell out, and the overhead would have been much lower.($10 for parking?!)
This was a very good concert and Graceland and all of the people involved with this show should be congratulated for even attempting to stage a production like this, let alone being able to pull it off so well!
Other comment about Rosemont, IL
Just saw it tonight in Chicago (actually Rosemont, IL).
All I can say is, wow. For someone who has never had the privilege of seeing Elvis live, this gives you some idea of the fun and excitement. Elvis was a great performer, and he put on one helluva show back in his day. The musicians and the crowd really got into it (live, as well as on film).
I had a great time! Even though this is a money-making proposition for Graceland, it was really cool. Kinda sad at the same time, because the crowd was cheering Elvis, and he wasn't there to see it. Would've been something else to see him live.
More about Rosemont, IL
Hi Everyone,
I have to agree, Elvis-The Concert was an awesome show.
When we arrived at the Rosemont Horizon there was already people waiting in line, which was about a half an hour before the doors opened.
We parked my car and stood in line along with everyone else. I think almost everyone in the line had Elvis t-shirts on.I told my husband that I would feel out of place if I didn't have an Elvis t-shirts on.
Anyway, when the doors opened and we finally got inside to find our seats I saw the stage. It was awesome. They had a replica of the Graceland Gates hanging in the center of the stage.
The Gates was white and they had colored lights shining on them. There was also the letters "EP" behind the Gates. They was white also. The background was black. It was a beautiful sight.
When the concert was ready to start the Gates lifted and the lights lit the stage as the band started playing the Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey. All the sudden I got this cold chill that came over me. This song has never affected me in anyway before. To hear this song, live, knowing it was the opening of Elvis' show, knowing we will soon see Elvis. My gosh, what a great feeling it was.
I never seen Elvis while he was alive but with the feels that came over me while watching this concert, I got a taste of what it would have been like at one of his live concerts. What a wonderful experience this concert was.
I thought everyone on stage was excellent. It was amazing how everything seemed so perfect. Some of the show made me feel sad though because everyone was on stage except the main attraction. Elvis should have been on the stage with the rest of them, not on the big screen.
It was really an awesome concert and if or when it goes overseas, I would recommend you don't miss it. Ok, I guess I said about enough to give you all a general idea of what the concert was like and how I felt about it.
More about Rosemont, IL
I Went to see Elvis the Concert in Rosemont, IL and the show was fantastic. I only wish the attendance would have been a little better( 5,000-7,000 people) The TCB band was in rare form. Ronnie Tutt has to be the Greatest Rock Drummer of all time. Way to go Ronnie.
The new Jumbo Tron system took a little getting used to. I thought a better quality copy of That's The Way It Is footage. A little grainy at times. All in all a great time was had. As usual, The media was ignorant again. Not too favorable comments. What else is new!
Love to hear from others who attended and also went to the show on Sunday night in Indianapolis.
Las Vegas
The concert was GREAT!!!! it was really wonderful, it felt almost like when I was him live. At the same time it made me very sad because I wished he was on that stage.
The concert was done with a lot of class and it was great to see all of Elvis' old friends and band members on the stage. The band members never missed a cue, they were right on Elvis' every move just as they used to when Elvis was on stage with them. A great job done by all of them.
Indianapolis, IN
The concert hall all dark except for Gracelands music gates hanging in the air just above the stage floor in a light purple color, the TCB Band directed by Mr Joe Gercio, this is the original band & 95% of the original members, starts by the low beginnings of space oddsessy 2001 & rapidly builds into the fire of the song, the music gates are raised high in the air by hoists & then appears "The Man Elvis on the largest video screen I've ever seen, must have been 50' x 50' singing CC.Rider just as if it was "alive" I mean I got the damnest goosebumps you've ever seen , the same electrical charge I got when I saw him live in Cincinnati.
The Orchestra was perfectly in sinc. with el right to the lip curls!!!!!there also was The Sweet Inspirations, The Imperials, Glen Hardy, Ronnie Tutt, & others !!! the show was over 2 hrs long & not a dull moment I would do it again in a heart beat!! the show leaves Indy & goes to Las Vegas at the International Hotel ( now Las Vegas Hilton) for its final debut, the sadiest thing I thought about was that when Elvis was singing "Can't Help Falling In Love With You" was that the last time Elvis sung that song was right there at Market Square Arena 21 years ago with the same band! oh! what a difference time makes!
Concert At Indianapolis' Market Square Arena
The setting: Market Square Arena--the very place where Elvis performed his Final Farewell Concert. I was not there 21 years ago, but I have read that the crowd in Indianapolis was a sellout--18,000 strong.
Unfortunately, I was very disappointed in the turnout on Sunday (Elvis' last concert, June 26, was on a Sunday also.) at Market Square Arena. I was also on hand for this experience in Evansville on March 11th. The crowd at Roberts Stadium (maybe 9,000 capacity) was over half full. So, when I saw maybe 2,500 to 3,500 people in their seats when the thunderous beginning of 2001 broke out, I was hurt.
The show was just as good as when I saw it the first time. The TCB band (comprised of James Burton, Jerry Scheff, Ronnie Tutt and Glenn D. Hardin) was at full force on both nights. However, back in March, it was only their 3rd show, so they had time to iron out a few miscues to make the Indianapolis show better.
Unfortunately, J.D. Sumner and the Stamps had made prior arrangements before knowing that the Summer tour would take place. However, four members of the Imperials showed up and did a great solo of "He Touched Me". One difference between the two shows was that Hardin, Tutt, and Burton installed separate solos during "Johnny B. Goode." It was very interesting to say the least. Other than that, the song list was just like many of the ones that Elvis himself made up--the exact same. Don't get me wrong, the live performances of "Just Pretend," "Make The World Go Away," "Bridge," "Trilogy," and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" were all fantastic. However, the highlight for me came after the concert itself. I promised friends that I would come back with a particular souvenir so I didn't want to let them down--or myself.
After the show, I raced past everybody up to the stage, jumping the last 3 rows. I made my way through to Ronnie Tutt, shook his hand, and asked for his drumsticks. After giving me the finger (not that one), he went back to his drum set and got his sticks. On his way out from behind the drums, he handed both sticks to lady working on the concert staff. At this point I knew that I wouldn't get what I came for. By this time every other person was screaming for the ultimate gift for a Tutt fan, one of his sticks. After Ronnie whispered something to her, she came toward the now towering crowd against the stage. She threw one drumstick to my left, and then placed the other in my right hand! I had it! I saw the wear and tear of over two hours of hard playing on that baby!
So, you ask, did you have a good time and did you get your $25 worth?--two words--Hell Yes!
TCB,
Pat (South Bend, Indiana)
Las Vegas, Nevada
Hello Elvis fans,
I saw "Elvis the Concert" on August 15th, 1998 at the Las Vegas, Nevada Hilton. It was so Wonderful. Words can not describe how Great it was with Elvis on a large screen looking Bigger than Life.
It was so good to see his TCB Band and the Sweet Inspirations, Millie Kirkham, and the Imperials singing. Great to see Joe Guercio directing the orchestra again.
Was anyone else reading this seen that Concert? I heard it will be going to Europe after January. I hope everyone get a chance to see it . It is UNBELIEVABLE!!
Sue Campiglia, Las Vegas, Nevada
Antioch, TN
First of all I must say that it is a shame that the attendance isn't much larger in other states because Nashville's Starwood Ampitheatre was pretty packed !
The problem with that concert, along with the others mentioned is that the promotion was/is nil !!! So many people I know of would have gone (not even large Elvis fans, just something neet to see) to it if they heard about it and what it was exactly. The T.V stations had no commercials,radio was very scarce on info, and newspaper was touch and go, you could find more after the concert was over.
The concert was and still is , no doubt, the BEST thing I have ever done. For an Elvis fan, that lost him at 8 years old and has had to deal with video's along with (mainly)crappy impersonators, it was FANTASTIC !!!!!!!!!!!
No other way to describe the feeling I had before he came out, during, and after he exited. You can't go back when someone is dead, so if you've lost an idol , you just have to dine on ashes. This concert was a miracle for people like myself that missed the experience of Elvis.
The darned mediais always trying to make Elvis and his fans look goofy. I get tired of it. Its like the Beatle's are cool and the actual King of Rock is not, its bad enough that E isn't played on rock stations that play classics. I have heard only negativity about this concert. Things like Graceland is trying to make a buck on this dead man and all these fans are wacky for seeing this. I say, WHY ? Is it wacky to get the opportunity to see someone you like in concert. Is it wacky for people to go to the orchestra to hear music from composers that are long since gone ? Would it not be as wacky if it was the Beatles or Led Zeppelin, something tells me it would be accepted and not wacky weirdness then ?!
Bottomline is it was sooooooooo awesome that I , along with 10-15 others I know, would go again !!! In a heartbeat.
I welcome a 99 tour !
