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A wonderful show. Lots and lots of empty seats — I'd be surprised if one-third of the pavilion seats were occupied. It did rain just before the show, but today a guy who works at the CSU radio station told me that Blossom, last week, had given the station 14 pairs of tickets to give away. And they didn't sell any lawn seats at all. Elvis, more than once, invited the audience to move closer to the stage, by word and by gesturing with his guitar and arms.
My 8th row seats gave me a great look at the horn section but hardly any look at all at Pete (he didn't have a Lincoln beard, though), Steve, or Allen (I could see only the top of his head most of the time). No complaints though — the Crescent City Horns are not only talented players but interesting to watch.
EC strained a little on the high notes, far more than he did last month in Ann Arbor. Maybe the tour is taking its toll. But I also got the definite sense that the musicians were keenly aware that this was one of the last dates on the tour (Atlanta and New Orleans are left). They played with great joy. If EC was bummed by the sparse attendance, he didn't let on.
I consider myself lucky to have seen EC in concert on three successive months, first with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and then with Allen. This collaboration with Allen especially is one of Elvis's creative high points, and perhaps one of Allen's too. I hope that a live CD and/or DVD comes out somewhere down the road. And if you haven't seen the tour and it's even remotely possible for you to attend the Atlanta or New Orleans shows, well, get movin'.
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