Folks, I just got back from doing some shopping at A. Schwab and Blues City General Store. Tomorrow is the annual Stumblin’ Elvis pub crawl, to raise food donations for the Ronald McDonald House. I took my Elvis costume out of the closet this morning and I got ready to wash it to wear again this year. As I looked it over, I realized I wasn’t that enthusiastic about Stumblin’ Elvis for several reasons:
1) Ninety bazillion people want to take your picture when you’re Elvis. Last year, when I arrived at the Flying Saucer, the first stop on the pub crawl, I had to stop for four photos before I even made it to the bar to get a beer. And walking up Beale from Silky’s to Second… we were stopped every ten feet. As I explained before, you have to go along with it, because as Elvis, you are the spectacle. But it gets really tiresome after a while.
2) The other thing is, I have never been able to take good photos for my blog of all the Elvii. My hands have always been full, and having to get my camera in and out of an improvised pocket of an Elvis jumpsuit just doesn’t work. Sooner or later I knew I would break the camera. So I just left it in my pocket and left my blog readers without photos. I’ve never been happy about that.
3) I’m one Elvis among many. I don’t stand out in any way. I’m one Elvis among Elvii, and there are many Elvii who go to much greater lengths preparing their costume than I do mine. I’ve always had a problem with being “supporting cast” at events like this.
This morning, while typing my “Friday update” blog post, I came up with an idea for a new costume, one that would solve all three of these problems at once. The more I mulled it over, I thought to myself, “This could work!” and I began planning a Beale Street shopping spree. The result was a new costume which cost about $52 total, more than I paid for my original Elvis costume. I have six items total that make up the costume, and I may add one or two more before tomorrow evening. If you don’t come to the pub crawl, you are going to be missing out on an epic event.
After I took my new costume home, I had one more stop to make: Family Dollar, where I picked up some canned tuna, chicken, and vegetables to donate as part of the food drive tomorrow night.
The pub crawl starts at 7:30 PM at the Flying Saucer. Stops through the evening will include the Blind Bear, Silky O’Sullivan’s, and Purple Haze. It’s free to participate and you don’t have to dress up, although you are certainly encouraged to.
“Elvis, can I take your picture?”
Get ready.