Archive for May, 2009
EDDIE O’ROURKE LIVE AT THE VALLEY REGENCY IN CLIFTON, NJ
by eddie on May.23, 2009, under E
"E" with Rose Lynn and Steve at Valley Regency
“ON THE ROAD WITH E”
On May 22nd I performed at The Valley Regency in Clifton, New Jersey, which is an elegant location, appointed with marble and tapestry. The occasion was a wedding reception for a cool, young couple…Steve and Rose Lynn Bedowya. Six months earlier they were married in Las Vegas, at one of those romantic wedding chapels. No, not an Elvis ceremony. However, as no family or friends were present, they felt the need to re-marry for the troops. And, since everyone assumed the original Vegas ceremony WAS performed by “The King”, Rose Lynn thought it would be a great surprise for Steve and the others if she produced “Elvis” for the reception. Enter…yours truly!
I affectionately refer to this type of gig as an “Elvis Sighting”. Not a full blown concert, but a truncated rendition. No live band, not even my usual sound people. JUST ME!! In an effort to make this sort of thing more affordable, I show up with a CD background program for the DJ on hand. I jump into the performance blind. No sound check or prep time with the audio crew.
"E" admiring the tapestry at the Valley Regency
No idea how the room is arranged or lit…BLIND!! Kinda like jumping out of a plane and wondering if the chute will open… or is even there! I schmooze the crowd, post performance, and usually spend a reasonable amount of time posing for photos with various party members. Being the control-freak I am, I’m almost never completely satisfied with the situation, but the performances are always well received despite my own reservations. In this instance, the team at The Valley Regency was very accommodating. But, I’m not always that lucky. Maybe I should have captioned this post “LIVING ON THE EDGE WITH E”.
EDDIE O’ROURKE AS ELVIS…LIVE AT “THE POINTE”
by eddie on May.19, 2009, under E
ON THE ROAD WITH E MAY ’09
Eddie O'Rourke as Elvis, May '09 "The Pointe"
On Sunday, May 17th I performed once again to a packed house at The Pointe in Port Liberte’, JC. This great venue, on the Hudson, has been a favorite of mine for a few years now. There were many familiar faces at this concert. People I’ve met previously at the classic car shows I do through the summer months. We pulled in some new fans from the Jersey Shore area and even had a table of folks from San Antonio, TX who coordinated a business trip to coincide with my performance. I opened the evening with “That’s Alright Mama” and along the way I did something I almost never submit to…a request!! Like Elvis, I prefer to work from a preset show. There’s a rhythm and development that takes place in a planned performance. A building to a natural ending. Anyway, the gang from San Antonio requested “Suspicious Minds” and I wasn’t about to disappoint them. I closed with “If I Can Dream”…always a winner.
From the beginning, my Elvis Tribute Show has relied on my roaming about the audience, up close and personal. I shake hands, kiss the girls, hand out hawaiian leis, pass out concert scarves and even pose for a photo momentarily with a fan while performing. Even though Elvis’ concerts were of a personal nature, he rarely left the stage, So, at least in that respect, my rendition of “The King” is different. However, it was recently pointed out to me that this mingling about is what gives MY SHOW its appeal. I suppose what I do is more of an ELVIS EXPERIENCE…It’s hard to articulate, you have to be there. I also make a point of remaining after the performance to chat and take photos with fans. The guys who imitate Elvis usually prefer to do it at a distance to enhance the “illusion.” As a tribute artist I’m not imitating, but rather portraying Elvis and his music. An “Elvis Attitude” is what I’m giving the crowd. All “The King” had to do was…SHOW UP!! I… have to work a little harder. Let’s face it…whether you call yourself a tribute artist or an impersonator…NONE OF US ARE ELVIS!!
What worked for him doesn’t always work for those of us doing an Elvis Show. As an Elvis artist you have to make realistic adjustments. My hope is that I entertain you and, along the way, give you a little taste of what it was like to experience… ELVIS LIVE!!