1st September 1957, Sunday

[Graeme]

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[silverwings]

      
Presley rocks 'n rolls Tacoma teenagers into frenzy at bowl
By Don Duncan - The News Tribune original review - September 2, 1957

A smile played on the full lips of the husky, loose-jointed young man in the gold jacket. His black shirt was unbuttoned to his breastbone. He wiggled his hips in tight fitting black pants and several thousand girls gasped and screamed in unison. He spread his arms and they shrieked again.
'I'll take care of you in a minute', Elvis Presley said husky-voiced to the loudest of his fans. And 6,000 people in Lincoln Bowl yesterday erupted in shouts, screams and hand-clapping.

Crazy Man

Suddenly a piano player grabbed a mittful of notes, two guitarists and a drummer caught up the slugging beat and Elvis Presley snatched the microphone, pressed it to his lips, and began to pour out his throbbing, syncopated baritone: '… Don't be cruel to a heart that's true … don't be cruel …'
As he sang he began a slow, rhythmic movement of his pelvic region, his legs vibrated, his upper torso caught up the movement and alternately swayed and shimmied. Each new movement was greeted by fresh screams.
He fell to his knees and socked out the rock 'n roll beat with his body. He waved at the crowd. And he sang, always in that pulsating, almost native, beat – 'I l-u-u-u-v yew-ew-ew-ew'.
Sometimes he chuckled in the middle of a song. He clowned impishly. And once he corned up that old jazz perennial 'I Found My Thrill on Blueberry Hill' by substituting blackberry for blueberry.

Screams Drown Voice

Often the great roar of the crowd snuffed out the words. But no stranger in the crowd could doubt ‘twas Elvis at the mike. He sang at least a dozen songs, this creator of mass hysteria, this modern-day answer to Austin, Vallee and Sinatra. But where they depended almost exclusively on voice, his was a combination of earthly body movements and a rhythm that smacks of the revival tent.
It was burlesque with a twist as if Gypsy Rose Lee had donned men's clothing.
Elvis came in a black limousine, surrounded by a cordon of beefy policemen. He stepped from the car and leaped lightly to the stage, amid frenzied cheers. Jugglers, quartets, marimba players and lesser vocalists had warmed up the audience to feverish pitch. Elvis was here to make them cast, inhibitions aside, to blend his personality into theirs so each would think he was singing just for them. He succeeded.

The Frenzy Mounts

The tempo mounted agonizingly toward a final thundering crescendo. Elvis, his dark, handsome face glowing with inner pleasure, played it for all it was worth. Each word mumbled into the microphone, and indeed most of the words he sang were similarly slurred, was greeted with deafening screams. Each squirm was as carefully calculated as a Shakespeare soliloquy to heighten the dramatic effect.
This rock 'n roll, personified by its sideburned king, is the antithesis of the cool, restrained bop from whence it sprung. Emotions, tenseness are relieved by handclapping, clasping the hands to the head and moaning, and those shrills piercing Indian warwhoops.

Cool, Man, Cool

A chunky, effeminate-looking man with long hair, later identified as a member of Presley's entourage, seemed almost in a trance as he snapped his fingers, wiggled his body and shouted over and over:
'Yeah man, Yeah man, yeah, yeah, yeah …'
Elvis climaxed the show with what he called 'The Elvis Presley National Anthem', a frentic, whirling-dervish rendition of Houn' Dog. 'You ain't nothing but a houn' dog, c-ry-y-y-in' all the time … they said you was high class, but that was just a lie … you never caught a rabbit and hew hain't no frien' of mine…'
Once through in normal voice, the second time in a hoarse, strained voice that rasped the frayed emotions of the teenage girls and had them on the verge of collapse.
He strutted like a duck, his hands dangling loosely in front of him. He went to his knees in an attitude of prayer, taking the slender microphone with him. And he finished with a burst of shimmying that left him limp, his thick black hair hanging over his eyes and perspiration pouring down his pancake makeup.

Calculated Escape

Elvis did a Douglas Fairbanks-type leap from the stage, raced to the waiting limousine and was whisked away in a cloud of dust as shouts died on the lips of his fans.
Girls, dragging unwilling boys by the hand, rushed to the spot where Elvis vaulted into the car. They scooped up the dirt, kissed it and poured it into pockets and purses.
Then they tore off to the stands, these wives and mothers of tomorrow, to where the hucksters were doing a brisk business in Elvis Presley buttons, hats and pictures. The show was over.
Earlier a different Presley–shy, polite and almost boyish in appearance–greeted newsmen and officers of Seattle and Tacoma, fan clubs in the low, concrete building used by Lincoln High athletes before sports events.
He wore a straw hat, and expensive-looking blue and white sweater and loafer shoes.
No, he said, the girl he left crying at a Memphis, Tenn., airport isn't going to become Mrs. Presley, 'although you all can say she's more than just a friend.:
'I'll know when the right girl comes along', he added.

Who's Vulgar?

The idol of America's teenagers, a 6-foot, 1-inch, 180-pounder, lowered his lashes over the deep blue eyes, and said, no sir, I certainly don't mean to be vulgar when I wiggle my hips during a song.
'It's just my way of expressing my inner emotions'.
Elvis is ready to go into the service when Uncle Sam beckons and won't ask to be put special services, he said. He hinted that he'd gladly be a foot soldier for his native land if the War Department decides that's where he belongs. The man who has four Cadillacs (two white, one pink and one blue), a Messerschmidt, a Lincoln, a Mark II and two motorcycles, said he's saving his money.

Lots of Teddy Bears

And he branded as 'just a rumor' reports he's crazy about teddy bears. 'Sure I have about 70 all over the house', he said. 'But they were all sent to me by fans after a reporter saw me carrying home a teddy bear I'd won at the fair. Besides, little kids who visit my home go nuts when they see all the bears'.
Elvis has earned 17 gold records (1,000,000 record sales) from RCA since he came out of obscurity with a $2.98 guitar and an entirely new approach to singing.
'Don't Be Cruel' is his personal favorite because 'it was my first big hit'.
The singer said he doesn't think of the new vocalists coming up as threats 'because there's plenty of room for all of us'. He tabbed Tommy Sands and Ricky Nelson as his favorites newcomers.
But, he added, there'll always be plenty of people who prefer Perry Como and Bing Crosby.
'After all, they've been around for years and me, I've just been on top for a year and a half', he said.

Jekyll and Hyde

Elvis smiled in approved All American boy manner and confided he's a different man when he's out there with the crowd. 'I lose myself in my singing', he said. 'Maybe it's my early training singing gospel hymns.
'I'm limp as a rag, worn out, when a show's over'. 'Why I had a couple of nervous breakdowns a while back when I was making too many of these one-night stands'.
Elvis taped an interview to be sent to little Caroline Jardeen, a bed-ridden Tacoma girl. He wished his fan a speedy recovery so she could see him on his next visit.
Lucky fan club members who entered the dressing room were bathed in the full Presley personality. He signed autographs for everybody, even the policemen who crowded around him.
And when he put his arms around one of the girls, she moaned:
'I-I-I think I'm going to faint'.
She didn't.

The Boss Speaks

Col. Tom Parker, who promotes Presley's shows, is also famed as the man who got America to drinking Hadacol. 'Some folks still drink it', he said.
'Yeah, but not if there's water available', said Tom Durnin, Presley's personal manager.
'Elvis is a good kid, no trouble at all', said Parker. 'I don't know which was easier to sell – him or Hadacol'.

[silverwings]

Elvis Presley concert newspaper promotion, September 1, 1957	Lincoln High School and Lincoln Bowl Tacoma late 1940s
Elvis Presley signing fan's head, The Tacoma News Tribune, September 2, 1957	Elvis Presley emoting The Tacoma News Tribune September 2, 1957

      

Elvis Presley thrills a crowd of about 6,000 at Tacoma's Lincoln Bowl on September 1, 1957.
By Kim Davenport Posted 3/04/2020 HistoryLink.org Essay 20982

On September 1, 1957, Elvis Presley performs a matinee concert at Tacoma's Lincoln Bowl as part of a five-show sweep of the Pacific Northwest over Labor Day weekend. The tour begins August 30 in Spokane, and includes stops in Vancouver, Tacoma, Seattle, and Portland.

Touring Behind 'Jailhouse Rock'

Lincoln Bowl was dedicated in 1948, as a counterpart to Stadium Bowl, the large outdoor venue adjoining Tacoma's other comprehensive high school. While primarily a venue for high school sporting events, it has also hosted professional boxing matches, military parades, community gatherings, and a handful of concerts. Elvis Presley's appearance in 1957, however, is the only example on record of a concert appearance by a musician of nationwide fame.

A crowd of about 6,000 people enjoyed a fairly intimate performance, with seating on the floor of the Bowl, as well as in the stands facing the impromptu stage. Judging by photographs from the concert, the vast majority of those in attendance were teen girls. Some young men, including Kent Morrill of The Fabulous Wailers fame, refused to buy tickets, jealous of Elvis' popularity among the girls, but later admitted watching the concert through binoculars from the trees in neighboring Lincoln Park.

Although Presley had made several recordings for Sun Records over the period from 1953-1955, his burst into the mainstream came following his first recording for RCA in Nashville, which was released on March 23, 1956. Over the next several months, Presley toured nationally, made his first appearances on national television, on shows hosted by Milton Berle, Steve Allen, and finally Ed Sullivan. His Pacific Northwest tour came just before the October 1957 release of his film Jailhouse Rock, and his songs for the film's soundtrack made up much of his performance set for the Lincoln Bowl matinee.

'He Strutted Like a Duck'

Tacoma News Tribune reporter Don Duncan attended the concert, and wrote a review that was published in the following day's paper. The article mentions the dozen-or-so songs Elvis performed from the stage at Lincoln Bowl -- including 1956-1957 hits such as "Hound Dog," "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear," and "Jailhouse Rock" -- but devotes more column inches to Presley's behavior and performance style. Some excerpts:

"Often the great roar of the crowd snuffed out the words. But no stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Elvis at the mike. He sang at least a dozen songs, this creator of mass hysteria, this modern-day answer to Austin, Vallee and Sinatra. But where they depended almost exclusively on voice, his was a combination of earthly body movements and a rhythm that smacks of the revival tent. It was burlesque with a twist as if Gypsy Rose Lee had donned men's clothing."

"Each squirm was carefully calculated as a Shakespeare soliloquy to heighten the dramatic effect."

"He strutted like a duck, his hands dangling loosely in front of him. He went to his knees in an attitude of prayer, taking the slender microphone with him. And he finished with a burst of shimmying that left him limp, his thick black hair hanging over his eyes and perspiration pouring down his pancake makeup."

"The idol of America's teenagers, a 6-foot, 1-inch, 180-pounder, lowered his lashes over deep blue eyes and said, no sir, I certainly don't mean to be vulgar when I wiggle my hips during a song. It's just my way of expressing my inner emotions" ("Presley Rocks n' Rolls ...").

When the music came to an end and the musicians made a quick exit from Lincoln Bowl on their way to an evening show at Sicks' Stadium in Seattle, screaming girls chased after them. From the News Tribune report: "Girls, dragging unwilling boys by the hand, rushed to the spot where Elvis vaulted into the car. They scooped up dirt, kissed it, and poured it into pockets and purses" ("Presley Rocks n' Rolls ...")

Elvis Reaches Out

But the story doesn't end there. The next day, before catching the train to Portland, Elvis spent some time in his Seattle hotel room reading reviews of his Tacoma and Seattle performances. The performer took the time to make a personal phone call to Don Duncan, telling him that his review was "the best article ever written about me."

Perhaps inspired by this personal call, Duncan wrote a column about his encounter with the iconic performer, which appeared in The Tacoma News Tribune the following weekend, at the bottom of page B-5. Ducan's article used only lower-case letters, an homage to the autograph he received from Elvis, which read "thanks, elvis presley." The article appeared under the headline "elvis nice to press, dazzler with girls." Duncan writes:

"since a lot of folks have sidled up to me in the past few days and asked for the plain, unvarnished truth about old sideburns hisself, i figured i'd let you in on all the secrets i learned. first off, this elvis has all his own hair and don't let anybody tell you it's a wig or those sideburns are painted on, and when those locks fell down on his forehead and he had to peek through them like veronica lake did before she went out of style, that was the real elvis.

"elvis is real nice and easy with the press and a real dazzler with the young girls who managed to get into his dressing room on the strength of being fan club officers or something like that.

"well, the music was really the thing out there at lincoln bowl, and make no mistake about it this boy elvis could have taught dr. goebbels a thing or two about mass psychology. this rock 'n' roll business has a real slugging beat that twists your insides all around and sets up some sort of chemical action that comes out in foot-tapping and screams. since i am too old to be screaming at 22-year-old singers, especially when they aren't girls, i just fixed a silly grin on my face and it served the purpose.

"the next day after my story was in the paper i got a long distance telephone call and the operator said hold on a minute, mr. presley is calling you. i figured he was mad or something and i looked for a place to hide, but there wasn't anything to do but stand there and take it like a man.

"he came on the line, elvis did, and instead of tearing me apart he said nice things about the story and how it was the best ever written on him and how he wanted to be sure and see me the next time he's in town. this should boost my stock considerably with some of my teenage nieces and nephews who are inclined to look upon old uncle don as a real square" ("Elvis Nice ...").

Sources:
Kim Davenport, Tacoma's Lincoln District (Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2018); Don Duncan, "Presley Rocks 'N Rolls Tacoma Teenagers Into Frenzy at Bowl," The Tacoma News Tribune, September 2, 1957, pg. A-1; Don Duncan, "Elvis Nice To Press, Dazzler With Girls," Ibid., September 8, 1957, pg. B-5; Scotty Moore, Tacoma 57 (ScottyMoore.net, accessed February 7, 2020).

      

[silverwings]

Seattle, WA. Sick's Stadium (eve)
      
September 1st, during Labor Day weekend after performing in Vancouver, BC the previous evening and a matinee show in Tacoma that day, Elvis, Scotty, Bill, DJ and the Jordanaires performed to a crowd of over 16,000 fans at Sick's Stadium, 90% of them teenage girls. Tickets sold for $1.50, $2.50, and $3.50 and the show was supposed to begin at 8:30 p.m. but it was well past 10 p.m. before a cordon of policemen appeared around the stage and Elvis walked out from the dugout as the crowd began to scream in earnest.

Elvis wore a dark shirt and slacks and a gold lame jacket that shimmered in the lights. When he leaned toward the microphone, the tsunami of noise from the audience reached a shrieking crescendo. An ambulance crew strapped a girl to a stretcher who had fainted when Elvis first appeared and carried her down the stairs and out of the stadium. She hadn’t been able to hear even one song.

Myrna Crafoot, a fan in attendance that evening jotted down in her diary the set list: Heartbreak Hotel, All Shook Up, I Got A Woman, That's When Your Heartaches Begin, I Was The One, Teddy Bear, Don't Be Cruel, Love Me, Fools Hall Of Fame, Blue Suede Shoes, Blueberry Hill (with Elvis on piano), Mean Woman Blues and Hound Dog. According to Wikipedia, another Seattle native and fan in attendance that evening, a 14 year old named James (Jimi) Marshall Hendrix took notes of the set list as well.

Toward the end, Elvis stood quietly before the microphone and announced that the next number would be the National Anthem. He burst into 'Hound Dog' instead. John Voorhees, in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, said the scream from the audience sounded like '12,000 girls all having their heads shaved at once.' He sang two choruses and then he was gone, vanishing through a gate in the right field fence, no doubt avoiding the rush and mass hysteria as had been witnessed the prior evening in Vancouver. A few girls slipped down to the stage and scooped up dirt from around second base before the police shooed them away.

Jimi Hendrix

Several months later the impressionable and now 15-year-old James (Jimi) Marshall Hendrix made a color drawing showing Elvis wielding a guitar. Both that and his notes from the concert had been on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH for a time but have been returned to Experience Hendrix.
In 1968 Jimi attended a late-night screening of 'King Creole' during his time in Paris and credited this particular viewing with giving him the additional strength and inspiration needed to further his career.
Strangely enough Jimi's last hometown appearance was at Sick's Stadium on July 26, 1970. Hendrix played the same venue with his father Al and his little sister Janie in attendance. It was to be the last time he would perform in the city, he would die less than two months later on September 18th, 1970.
The Stadium was demolished in 1979.

[Private Presley]

[Private Presley]

A new one to me

before a performance.
Elvis is with Gary Soriano, the young son of Dewey Soriano, the manager of the Seattle Rainiers baseball team at the time.

[silverwings]

The Lincoln Bowl:
      

[ColinB]

This is an interesting news snippet about Jimi Hendrix, although they seem to have got the date wrong !

[Alan]

Colin, I would imagine newspaper sources for the show itself appear under their published date of the 2nd and that's why it been quoted in the article you've posted. Nice find.

[ColinB]

Colin, I would imagine newspaper sources for the show itself appear under their published date of the 2nd and that's why it been quoted in the article you've posted. Nice find.

I missed these bits which needed scrolling down to see:

Good to see a song list which Graeme didn't have !

[Alan]

This part of the list
3 I Got A Woman
Mean Woman Blues
With both the above having one number I'd say she wasn't sure what he was singing and initially wrote down the opening words to Mean Woman Blues.
She could probably make out the words but not the tune above all the hollering a d screaming then part way through the song realised and put the correct title down.

Hound Did was normally a closer for Elvis, so it is out of sequence, possibly.

Nice to have though! Great find, thanks Colin.

[Private Presley]

[Private Presley]