Pelly’s performance precise
PHOTO BY STEVE STEINER
Mark "The Hammer" Niethammer was one of two warm-up acts for Monk Pelly, an Elvis Presley tribute artist,at a performance at the Bartow Civic Center.
PHOTO BY STEVE STEINER
While waiting for the main show to begin, Ashley Black plays with her daughter, Raeleigh, 7-months-old, possibly the youngest "Elvis" fan at the Monk Pelly tribute performance.
PHOTO BY STEVE STEINER
Monk Pelly, wearing the famous "Eagle" outfit Elvis wore in his "Aloha from Hawaii" show that was broadcast live via satellite on Jan. 14, 1973, breaks into "That's Alright, Mama," the opening show of his act this past Saturday, Feb. 23.
PHOTO BY STEVE STEINER
Monk Pelly's performance as Elvis Presley found favor among those attending a Las Vegas revue-like show Presley made popular in the 1970s.
PHOTO BY STEVE STEINER
Performing as Elvis Presley, Monk Pelly recreated parts of Elvis' Las Vegas show, complete with jokes, impressions of other artists and, of course, songs that will forever be associated with Presley.
PHOTO BY STEVE STEINER
(From left) Margie Vanlue, Olivia Collins and Nan Cayson look forward to the concert and agreed it would be a" wonderful night out" for the three of them.
PHOTO BY STEVE STEINER
Performing as Elvis Presley, Monk Pelly recreated parts of Elvis' Las Vegas show, complete with jokes, impressions of other artists and, of course, songs that will forever be associated with Presley.
By his own admittance, he may not be performing as Elvis for too much longer — having been an Elvis tribute artist more than 30 years — but while he does, Monk Pelly puts on a great show and Saturday’s Feb. 23 concert at the Bartow Civic Center was no exception. Before an audience composed of all age ranges — from seven months to 77 years (and perhaps older), it was almost as if a time capsule had transported everyone back to the 1970s for an actual performance of “The King” himself, complete with fans screaming out their adulation.
Without question, Pelly’s interpretation of Elvis, from gestures to patterns of speech when speaking to signing, were as close to Elvis as people remembered. As a demonstration, Pelly would sometimes drop his Elvis persona, revealing his Boston, Mass., dialect, a far cry from Elvis’ homespun Tennessee drawl.
