Elvis Presley would have turned 80 years old on Jan. 8.
For a music lover in Syracuse, that was plenty reason enough to head down to the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Thursday night. OK that was a full week after the King's birthday, but still, it was the occasion of the party in his honor thrown by the blues band from Pennsylvania swinging through our part of the country in his honor. The Lustre Kings said they'd be playing 80 songs in honor of that round-number birthday. Nice number in theory all the way around.
The fact that Presley died on Aug. 16, 1977 at the age of 42 has if anything only escalated the love of the music the cat born in Tupelo, Miss., and who made an estate in Memphis called Graceland famous.
Syracuse has a history with the King.
Presley played the Onondaga County War Memorial in Syracuse twice, on July 25 and 27, 1976, sandwiching a date in Rochester. Wrote Syracuse music historian Ron Wray for his "History of Syracuse Music -- Chapter 45:
"The shows started at 8:30 p.m. and consisted of comedian Jack Kahane, The Sweet Inspiration and J.D. Sumner and the Stamps. Elvis followed delivering a 65-minute performance enhanced by thousands of flashbulbs going off and some 8,000 screaming fans of all ages. Many have asked me if I know Elvis's song list on those July nights. Well here it going to the best of my memory ...
"The opening was the theme from 2001 A Space Odyssey. Then Elvis enters singing in order- 'C.C. Rider,' 'I Got A Woman,' 'Love Me,' 'If You Love Me,' 'You Gave Me A Mountain,' a medley of 'All Shook Up', 'Teddy Bear' and 'Don't Be Cruel,' followed by 'And I Love You So,' 'Jailhouse Rock,' 'Fever,' 'America the Beautiful,' 'Polk Salad Annie,' 'Love Letters.' Elvis then introduced the band members (that included guitarist James Burton and ex-Cricket Glenn Hardin on piano), 'Hail, Hail Rock & Roll,' 'Hurt,' 'Hound Dog,' 'Funny How Time Slips Away,' and closing with 'Can't Help Falling In Love.' He did no encore. Tickets prices started at $12.50.
"Elvis was scheduled to return to Syracuse Aug. 20, 1977, but the War Memorial show was canceled due to his untimely death in Memphis a few day before."
Reviewers in The Post-Standard scored it a split decision. After the first night, Dale Rice ripped Presley. I wrote on my Listen Up! blog on Jan. 7, 2010: "Rice wrote: 'Funny How Time Slips Away' was the next to the last song Elvis Presley sang at the War Memorial last night, but it might as well have been the title of his whole stage performance. ... Rice called the singer fat, puffy and unenthusiastic. Presley fans bashed Rice in return. Two days later, he wrote in The Post-Standard how he had been inundated with hundreds of calls from irate readers. The paper ran six letters ripping Rice's review."
After the second concert, Mike Holdridge concluded in his story in The Post-Standard, according to elvisconcerts.com: "An encore performance of the latter plus a few short bars of 'Hound Dog' brought Presley to the nostalgic 'How Time Slips Away' and the crowd moved closer with the realization that the concert end was near. Telling the crowd that 'You've been one of the finest audiences we ever worked with,' Presley said he'll be back 'if you want me.' A thunderous standing ovation followed, giving Presley his answer, and security men whisked him out of the building as a virtual sea of humanity closed in on the stage. Love live the 'King'!"
Fifteen years later, when I was the music writer for The Post-Standard, when a Central New York man emerged hoping to market cassette tapes with so-so audio from the War Memorial shows, it was a front-page story.
But those two nights Presley played the War Memorial, I was back home on Long Island after my freshman year down the road in Madison County at Morrisville College.
The day Elvis died I was starting my junior year as a transfer at the University of Maryland in College Park.
On the night I wish Elvis was enjoying being 80 for a week, I decided I had to appreciate a bit of his music live. So I joined maybe 100 people in the Dinosaur as the four members of the Lustre Kings showed their love.
The rockabilly band from Albany has made it a tradition to tour these parts to play a night of Elvis-only. I raced from my weekly league at Bowling Green in Cicero downtown to be part of the magic.
I heard the beautiful-to-me music start from the outdoor speakers on the deserted side patio and made my way inside, bought a Miller Lite, and heard the band thank the people for being there. First song!
Front man Mark Gamsjager announced from under his whiting pomp how they'd started the tour on Birthday Proper in Brooklyn, and how much fun this all has been. He told of a minus- degree show during the Elvis run last year in Buffalo, and told a blue joke about it.
Upright bass player Michael "Chops" LaConte wildly entertained the crowd by hoisting his big, white instrument, hauling it way back to the opposite end of the bar, and working his way back toward the stage with stops to play while pressing close to attentive fans -- yeah, women, mostly, this being a tribute to Elvis and all -- along his journey.
The setting was just right, this restaurant and bar that sweeps the tables off the slightly raised stage come 10 p.m. to welcome bands -- and never charges a cover. The Lustre Kings brought a couple of Presley posters. The Dinosaur has among its myriad of memorabilia a green Elvis Presley Boulevard street sign tacked onto a wood beam.
I do not have the memory of a Ron Wray nor did I a bring a pad to write down a set list. No need. Not that kind of a night. Besides, I spent some time chatting about local music with my longtime friend Dave Frisina, radio host over at the Rebel and noted lover of live gigs of all sorts.
Beer finished, band and crowd grooving, I waved bye, happy with my fill of the King's sound and aura, and the Dinosaur's, too.