I’ve always been intrigued by Elvis.
His music, legacy, the way he styled his hair- everything.
My curiosity for the man spiraled into obsession when a couple of months ago, I stumbled upon the music documentary (or ‘rockumentary’, if you prefer), Elvis: That’s the Way It Is otherwise known as, the ‘Elvis Show.’
Sure, he’s been in several films, many of which I have a deep attachment to, but I’ve always regarded him as a musician first, actor second.
This documentary cemented that belief for me.
The film gives viewers a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at Elvis and his band during Las Vegas rehearsals for his Summer Festival that took place during the month of August 1970.
The 108-minute documentary shows a different side of Elvis, one that’s playful, outgoing and group oriented. Perhaps, the most telling part of the film was how much Elvis cared for his bandmates. There were several scenes where Presley was joking around and ‘ribbing’ his contemporaries like he would his family members – it was astonishing to see.
Normally, the Elvis that I’ve thought about was cold, distant and rather aloof. This ‘rockumentary’ changed the way I perceived him.
Once the movie ended I immediately wanted to know about the man I’ve neglected for so long. One of the first pieces of information I ran into was Elvis‘ fondness for food, particularly a sandwich dubbed the ‘Fool’s Gold Loaf.’ The contents of the meal include a hollowed out loaf of Italian bread, filled with a pound of bacon, with peanut butter and grape jelly rounding out the ingredients.
It’s a monstrosity, but it’s totally Elvis.
I can imagine him with bandmates, sitting around with wide eyes after rehearsals while they eat these things, talking about anything and everything. From life to religion, to that cute brunette that was sitting three rows from the back during one their concerts.
Imagine the stories they must’ve told.
That’s an endearing thought to have. Country boy Elvis and friends talking about the world and it’s inhabitants, with a beer in one hand and a calorie-loaded sandwich in the other.
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