The "Elvis is in the Building" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Headed to the Grandstand to see Mike Albert in "The Ultimate Tribute."  Show starts at 8:00 PM and the sun is just about ready to set to our left.  Beautiful day in the low 80s, but out here in the middle of nowhere, as the sun drifts below the horizon of trees, the chill is starting to set in as we find our places in the aluminum seated stands.  

We're at the Grange Fair in Centre County, PA and to me it's in the middle of nowhere.  Shortly, introductions of special guests, including some past Penn State football players, are made and then the stage lights begin to glare and the opening group called "AM Radio" takes the Grandstand stage.   Group of about half a dozen musicians with two vocalists entertain us for about 45 minutes and as the audience of maybe a thousand people start to get antsy, the announcer steps to the mic and says, "Elvis is in the building!"  The cheers rise into the cool night air.  "But," he says, "it will take 15 to 20 minutes to get the stage cleared and reset again.  No boos, but you can just feel the tension as he steps away from the mic.  Everyone stands to stretch before the feature performer takes the stage.  The crowd has all ages in attendance, but the majority seem to be AARP age.  Finally, the lights dim in the stands and the stage lights brighten.  

Two willowy girls stand in front of mics on the left of the stage while on the far right sits a musician with a mic around his head in front of a keyboard.  In the rear, atop a raised platform is seated the drummer with the lead guitarist to the right and the bass guitarist to the left.  The keyboardist begins......the drummer and guitarists join ...... A 2001 Space Odyssey ....... the crescendo builds ..... and from the rear of the stage appears.... Elvis!!  

The excitement begins with screams of joy from the older generation of women who I think actually believe they are witnessing the real Elvis Presley in person.  He grabs the mic and instantly opens with the 12-bar blues hit C.C. Rider.  I can feel the hair on my arms standing on end as the chills go down my spine.  Not sure if it is the excitement or the fact that I'm dressed in shorts and a short-sleeved T-shirt and the frost isn't too far away.  Mike Albert looks the part!  Long 60s hair and a long-sleeved white jump suit with HUGE belt and sparkles all over it.  On the back of his outfit was what appeared to be an eagle in black beading.  HE WAS ELVIS!!  At least in the eyes of the a part of the audience who are reliving their teenage years.  

After an opening medley of Elvis songs, Mike shows his personable side by talking with the crowd, then begins his next song.  He finds his way to the steps from the stage and as he is singing, walks into the crowd.  Camera flashes light up the evening darkness all around him as he stops by a woman in a wheel chair and sings to her.  Gives her a hug, kiss and a scarf from around his neck and off he goes to the other end of the crowd where he takes the hand of another older woman and pulls her to her feet.  Sings to her, thanks her for coming to the show and gives her a hug.  Next to her an older man stands with a camera in his hand to take a photo of them.  

Man on the left talks with Elvis who thinks he is the
husband of the woman in pink.  Man in gray hat is
really the husband.

Elvis thanks him for allowing him to sing to her, tells him how lucky he is and gives the lady a kiss and a scarf and works his way back up on stage as he sings another song.  After his final note, he stops and  looks back toward the woman and thanks her and her husband for allowing him to sing to her.  She looks at him and shouts above the audience noise, "This is my husband," as the man on the other side of her waves.  Crowd goes wild as Elvis shakes his head in amazement.  

Star of the show.

After a few other audience favorites with the help of his choral girls, he again makes a visit to the audience where he stops in front of a fellow.  After finding out it is his birthday, he grabs his hand and leads him back onstage with him, all while he is singing another favorite.  As he finishes he gives his familiar knee to the ground with arm and finger pointed in the air pose and hits the last note.  The band, except for the drummer stops.  Elvis tells the young man, who had Down's Syndrome, to end the song for him.  The fellow was so excited, but he still did the same pose as Elvis just did, ending the song.  The crowd gave him a standing ovaton.  It is so evident that the fellow is having the time of his life and then Elvis asks how old he is today, he tells him 42.  Elvis then told him, so that the audience could hear him, "That was the age when Elvis died!"  Wow!  The crowd grew quiet as the star realized what he had just said.  The fellow was escorted back to his seat and the show went on.  Song after song of Elvis hits filled the air, many of which the audience was invited to join in the singing.  

Young girl aides Elvis with his ending moves.

Then another song was offered and Elvis noticed three very young girls off to his left who were having the best time dancing along to the music.  He stopped his song and signaled to them to join him onstage.  Didn't have to coax them as they hustled on stage as fast as they could and joined him in his dancing routine.  At the end of the song he again did his move to end the song and one of the girls did a split in the center of the stage.  Elvis' girls who were his backup burst out in  laughter!  Then all three did a split as Elvis motioned for them to do another one.  

The stirring finale!

Great enter- tainment, to say the least.  Then, from the corner of the stage, someone hoisted a large American Flag as Elvis broke into "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah" to honor all the veterans in the audience as he reminded everyone that he to (the real Elvis) was a veteran.  By the time the last song was delivered I had forgotten how cold I was and I almost believed myself that he was the real Elvis.  What an entertainer as well as an accomplished singer.  Here's hoping I will get another chance to see his show in the future.  Great ending to a fantastic day at the Grange Fair.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.