Memphis meets Liverpool entertaining and authentic
By Steve Siegel Special to The Morning Call
Nearly 45 years ago, the Beatles jammed with their idol Elvis Presley during a private meeting at Presley's mansion in Bel Air. It was the first and only time these biggest names in rock and roll shared a stage -- that is, until Saturday night at Allentown Symphony Hall.
Well, not quite. Local Elvis tribute artist Jay Allan and the Philadelphia-based Beatles tribute band Liverpool Beat each presented Memphis meets Liverpool, a concert of classic 1960s and 1970s-era songs. And as a final number, they did in fact share the stage together, but not before each gave entertaining, if not completely authentic, shows.
First up was Liverpool Beat, whose hour-long set included the expected early Beatles' favorites like "All My Lovin'," "Can't Buy Me Love," and "I Wanna be your Man." While missing the mark in reproducing the shimmering vocal harmonies of the real Fab Four, they looked and sounded good enough, with black 1960s-era suits and mop-top wigs. But come on, man, the real Paul played left-handed, dig?
Steve Eissler (John) was the most vocally authentic, especially in his rendition of "I Feel Fine." Eissler and Dave Furey (Paul) formed a neat duo in "Ticket to Ride," which also featured some great guitar work by Steve Cash (George). Throughout the set Anthony Caponogro held a steady beat, which is perhaps more than what could be said of the real Ringo.
Allan, who hit the stage in a white satin, sliver-studded jumpsuit, had all of Elvis' moves down pat, including the neck jerks, gyrating hips, and smooth, vibrato-rich voice. He was also a pretty smooth operator, handing out scarves and teddy bears to the ladies. His backup band was exceptional, and included a trumpeter who was part of Elvis' original band in 1971 and 1972.
Allan admirably performed many Elvis classics from the Beatles era and before, including "All Shook Up," "Heartbreak Hotel," and of course "Hound Dog," but was at his best in the slow ballads. "My Way," known more as a Sinatra vehicle than an Elvis tune, was a standout, as was a truly heartfelt performance of the medley "Dixie" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
An Ann-Margaret look-alike joined Allan in a duet, and a pair of Las Vegas showgirls, wearing bright red feather boas, ruby sequins, and little else, were convincingly showy in "Viva Las Vegas." The moment everyone was waiting for came at the end of Allan's nearly 90-minute set, when the Fab Four and The King traded vocals in "Johnny B. Goode." Who knows, maybe that's what they played on that fateful meeting 45 years ago.
Dear Mr. Allan,
Where to begin...Simply: Thank you. I had the honor of sharing this evening with the two most influential women in my life: my grandmother and my mother. My grandmother celebrated her 80th birthday last week (well, to be fair, she's still celebrating *big smiles*). When asked what she wanted for her birthday, she smiled and said she has enough blessings. So, I asked her again if there's another blessing she would enjoy, and she said 'well, I suppose what I had wanted for the past 50 years'. You see, her dream was to see Elvis in concert :) I will never forget looking over at her and my mom, imagining what it was like growing up in their household-my grandparents playing Elvis records, my mother in her formative years. Just to know that my grandmother had her wish come true tonight is an incredible feeling!
Your authenticity is apparent, and I can't tell you just how awesome of an experience it was, that even though we sat in the balcony, it was as though Elvis was truly in the building. Your vibrant energy, camaraderie with the audience and band, as well as the compelling introduction (again, authenticity) will stay with me, and I am certain the other fortunate audience members, too. And what a special touch-introducing your parents.
On a personal note, one of the highlights for us was to hear "How Great Thou Art". That was my late, great-grandmother's (grandma's mom) favorite song, as she included it in her memorial service, instructing all of us to "sing me proud". As you more than well know, music connects us in a way that stretches the power of words.
With sincere gratitude,
Lisa W. & family
Hi Jay,
Just wanted to say thanks! last night was SOOO much fun! The crowd just loves you! Our seats were amazing, that hall is a great place for a show, the acoustics were wonderful!
You ROCKED!!! Your voice is amazing and you are so entertaining! We were going to stop and say hello after the show, but you were quite busy!
Please keep in touch with upcoming events, we had a really great time!
Catherine and Christiaan S.
Dear Jay,
My wife and I saw your show last evening in Allentown and were totally blown away! We never got to see the King live - but after seeing you perform - we both feel like we had a second chance to go back to those times when Elvis ruled the music world. Please let us know where you will be performing in the near future so we can get our Elvis "fix" again.
Best Regards,
Don
