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| - I have had a relationship with The Big Elvis Show for eleven years. It has been a unique relationship. I drink a beer or coffee and Big Elvis sings Elvis Presley songs. Actually whether it be in Bill's Gambling Hall or now Harrah's Piano Bar, Big Elvis has been performing to a sold out room. What makes Big Elvis a great performer is that it seems that he is singing directly to each person in the room. That is a sign of charisma. Big Elvis ought to be called Big Charisma.
There are countless Elvis Presley imitators. What makes Big Elvis stand out from the Elvis Presley imitators is his remarkable voice. Before the show starts and between sets, they will play a Big Elvis album. In all honesty I have not been able to tell the difference between the voice of The King of Rock & Roll and the self-named King of the Strip. The three sets from 2 to 7 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday showcase his voice. All eyes and ears are drawn on this giant of a man seated on a king chair singing Elvis Presley songs backed up by music from a karaoke machine. I have never grew tired of his voice. The songs he sings range from fast numbers that include "Viva Las Vegas," Burning Love,"and "Little Sister" to ballads that include "My Way" and "Always on My Mind." My favorite Big Elvis moment is when he sings "American Trilogy," which is a very patriotic song that he dedicates to the troops.
In the years that I have seen the Big Elvis Show, my opinion of the show has ranged from three to five stars. A back story to the show has been Big Elvis' s major weight loss. He went from weighing in the ball park of 950 pounds to approximately 450 pounds. That is 500 pounds lost. In a way a back story of the Big Elvis show is that determination pays.
The best Big Elvis shows were a couple of years ago in 2009, after he lost all that weight. In 2013 there have been changes that keep the show from a five star rating. The Sun Studios Dueling Guitar set is gone. Chuck Rawlins, a Conway Twitty impersonator with a five star voice, who was a part of the act has left the show. The Big Elvis Show has moved from the party time atmosphere of Bill's Gambling Hall to the corporate atmosphere of Harrah's Piano Bar. Where Bill's Gambling Hall served pitchers of beer for $7, Harrah's sells small bottles of beer for $7 (next store small bottles of beer are $1 at Casino Royale). In Bill's Gambling Hall it seemed that the King of the Strip was the King of Bill's Gambling Hall. The sounds of the Big Elvis Show dominated the open spaces of Bill's Gambling Hall. When Big Elvis performed a people at the slot machines and bar celebrated with Big Elvis. However in Harrah's Piano Bar, the room is cramped and the pianos in the center cause visibility issues.
The Big Elvis Show is more than listening to Elvis Presley and classics by other artists. The Big Elvis Show has a couple of audience participation segments. One is where a man in the audience will dress up in an Elvis wig and play a balloon guitar while five women from the audience join him in dancing. Usually Big Elvis is performing "Burning Love" or "Viva Las Vegas." People will find it entertaining or corny. I find it the later, and never once participated.
I recommend seeing the Big Elvis Show. Admission is a $7 beer. Not expensive for a show! Big Elvis sings the songs made famous by a man that he admires. It shows! Elvis Presley's real life best friend Sonny West was the best man at Big Elvis' s public wedding in Bill's Gambling Hall. Big Elvis wears Elvis Presley's TCB (Taking Care of Business) ring. Through his admiration, Big Elvis introduces songs with interesting Elvis Presley facts and follows a few similar traditions of an Elvis Presley concert. Big Elvis might give a scarf to a person in the audience. And he could end the last set with "Can't Help Falling in Love With You."
My relationship with the Big Elvis Show appears to be strong. Big Elvis still has big charisma that leaves me feeling anything but all shook up.
The Daniel. S Challenge. Review 86.
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