{"id":143,"date":"2024-08-18T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-18T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/?p=143"},"modified":"2024-08-18T18:53:01","modified_gmt":"2024-08-18T18:53:01","slug":"when-fomo-turns-to-fome-elvis-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/18\/when-fomo-turns-to-fome-elvis-week\/","title":{"rendered":"When FOMO turns to FOME: Elvis Week"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This time of year, I find myself feeling that familiar pang of FOMO\u2014a mixture of longing and regret. You know the one: the dread that you\u2019re missing out on something grand. But in my case, it\u2019s not just any event. It\u2019s an event I\u2019ve only attended once in my life, yet somehow it feels like I\u2019ve been missing it forever. I\u2019m talking about Elvis Week<\/em> at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. At certain time of the year, my FOMO becomes FOME, fear of missing Elvis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first time I went? Magical. And let me tell you, the first time will definitely not be the last time. It was everything I didn\u2019t know I needed\u2014quirky, a little over the top, and full of that weirdly wonderful energy that only die-hard Elvis fans can generate. I left wondering how I let so many years slip by without knowing such a phenomenon existed. How had Elvis Week<\/em> eluded me for so long?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, for those of you reading this and thinking, \u201cElvis fans? Really?\u201d\u2014no judgment! We all have our thing, right? Maybe you wave your flag at comic-cons or knit-a-thons. Me? My freak flag is bedazzled, rhinestone-studded, and shakes its hips to a familiar tune. At least, it does this time of year when Elvis Week<\/em> rolls around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honestly, I can\u2019t pinpoint when my fascination with the King and his fandom began. Thanks to my grandmothers, I grew up listening to his music and enjoying the lighthearted antics of his movies. But it wasn\u2019t until much later\u2014probably after watching Lilo & Stitch<\/em> for the umpteenth time, or catching Honeymoon in Vegas<\/em> on a lazy afternoon\u2014that it hit me. Elvis wasn\u2019t just popular; he was transcendent.<\/em> Decades after his heyday, his influence lingered everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then came the real eye-opener: Elvis Tribute Artists, or ETAs as they\u2019re lovingly called by the Elvis community. At first glance, I figured they were just another part of Elvis kitsch, like velvet paintings or bobblehead dolls. But oh no. After watching a documentary on Elvis impersonators (or, should I say, tribute artists\u2014because there is<\/em> a difference), I realized these performers weren\u2019t just playing dress-up for kicks. For many, this was an occupation<\/em>, a genuine calling with its own elaborate subculture. It\u2019s like fandom going full meta, complete with its own layers of competition and hierarchy. Who knew?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curiosity got the better of me, and in 2022 I finally took the plunge and bought tickets for Elvis Week<\/em> at Graceland. I\u2019ll admit, I had my reservations. Would I be the only person of color there? Would it be a bit…weird? Creepy, even? But what I found was neither weird nor creepy. It was fun<\/em>. Fun in that throw-caution-to-the-wind, sing-along-to-your-favorite-songs-with-a-bunch-of-strangers way. Fun in the sense of communal joy\u2014thousands of people gathered, not just to celebrate a man, but the music, the legend, and the myth of Elvis Presley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And oh, the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist (ETA) competition! I was lucky enough to sit next to a seasoned fan who gave me the lowdown on the world of ETAs. Apparently, the road to Graceland isn\u2019t just a straight shot. No, no, no\u2014it\u2019s a journey that includes last-chance competitions and qualifying rounds held all over the world. That\u2019s right\u2014there are ETAs from places you wouldn\u2019t even expect, all vying for the crown of the Ultimate Elvis. I learned about their unique styles: some specialize in \u201850s-era Elvis, others in the Vegas years. Each one captures a different facet of the man, keeping his legacy alive in new, creative ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those who\u2019ve never experienced it, let me paint a picture of the competition. Imagine a room filled with rhinestones, jumpsuits, and pompadours galore. The energy? Electric. These tribute artists don\u2019t just perform; they embody Elvis\u2014his swagger, his charm, that infamous lip curl. Some might bring their own modern twist to his persona, but they all respect the source material with a sincerity that borders on reverence. It\u2019s a celebration of Elvis, sure, but it\u2019s also a testament to the staying power of his music, his style, and his persona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see, Elvis Week<\/em> isn\u2019t just about nostalgia; it\u2019s about the timelessness of Elvis\u2019 appeal. The King\u2019s influence has spread far and wide, transcending generations, cultures, and continents. Elvis may have left the building, but he\u2019s still very much alive in the hearts of his fans\u2014and especially in the passionate performances of ETAs from Memphis to Melbourne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here I am, another year gone by, feeling that familiar FOME creep in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, this year Elvis Week<\/em> offered a virtual attendance option! While I wasn\u2019t physically in Memphis, I still got to experience the magic from the comfort of my own home. I watched the performances, cheered on my favorite tribute artists, and even witnessed the crowning of the new king\u2014all while in my bedazzled pajamas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t quite the same as being there in person, but the energy still radiated through the screen. The King\u2019s spirit danced on, proving that no matter where you are, Elvis Week has a way of bringing fans together. And who knows? Maybe next year, I\u2019ll swap the virtual for the real deal and find myself back in that quirky crowd once again, ready for another round of Elvis magic\u2014this time, live and in person.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was lucky enough to sit next to a seasoned fan who gave me the lowdown on the world of ETAs. Apparently, the road to Graceland isn\u2019t just a straight shot. No, no, no\u2014it\u2019s a journey that includes last-chance competitions and qualifying rounds held all over the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,29],"tags":[30,31,32],"class_list":["post-143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-elvisy","tag-elvis","tag-eta","tag-graceland"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Elvis-Cartoon-Heart-Crooner.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":146,"href":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143\/revisions\/146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/audreasallis.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}