Most of the attention of the regular attendees of Elvis Week has shifted to the Tent. Now that the Tent activities are tucked away in a building at the back of the property, Elvis Week has less of a carnival atmosphere. The only noise in the main part of the visitor’s center is piped in. There was practically no line for the tour of the houses and no lines at the main building to buy tickets for anything. We spent about $28 each for wrist bands to get access to the Tent and the exhibits around the main visitor’s center. Our walk through this area was relatively quick. We had seen the exhibits before but not the people there. I got a picture with a couple from Green Bay. The couple from Canada, just north of Seattle, were visiting friends in Nashville and decided that a day trip to Graceland would be a good idea. They had no idea it was Elvis Week and didn’t stay for the candlelight vigil. I originally ran into them in a gift shop but later, I snapped a picture for them when they were outside at the large “Elvis Week” letters.
A lady from Chicago was there with her 10-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son. They started coming the first year after the daughter was born. The kids were wearing jumpsuits and said their favorite song is “Jailhouse Rock”. I think I’ve taken their picture before.
I was disappointed that I couldn’t buy an official Elvis Week cap this year. I could not find them in the gift shop, and they told me they didn’t make any this year. I am sad to see the Elvis Week ballcap go the way of the Elvis Week ashtray, a relic of earlier times and a different type Elvis fan. Tina had decided to look for an Elvis Week flask. She had seen one early in our trip but didn’t like it because it was pick and said, “Love Me Tender”. In one of the stores she asked a sales lady about a flask to which she replied, “Flask!? What’s a flask?” It took a while for the lady to understand what we were looking for. Even when she did understand she told us she had never heard of a flask before. Our search for a flask found us back at the gift shop where the lady on the scooter had tried to run me down. They had a blue flask with a more acceptable picture of Elvis.
The people that you meet in line at the vigil ceremony are usually among the most memorable and this year did not disappoint. Diana was in line behind us. She was with a large group from Belgium that tried desperately to break line in front of us. This was Diana’s first visit to Graceland, and she loved everything about Elvis Week. She had questions about how the event worked and what would happen next. Liz was from Dublin and in line in front of us. She has lived in Connecticut for several years but still identifies herself from Dublin. She seemed to have a better feel for what was going on. She brought a flag to place of the gravesite. The most interesting person we met during our time waiting for the ceremony to start was a security guard named Marlo. I struck up a conversation with her when I saw she had something in her hand that I thought was an ice cream sandwich. It turned out to be a package of crackers. This was her first time working the candlelight vigil and she had questions for me. I think I prepared her for the vigil more than any of the training she had received beforehand. I leaned over and whispered to her asking if she was enjoying the freakshow. She smiled and laughed.
When we were done with the vigil ceremony, Tina mentioned that she had never seen the new hotel at Graceland. I told that my wife and I had stayed there, and I thought she needed to check out the lobby. Some areas are decorated to resemble Graceland. Other areas have a 1970’s feel without being too cheap or cheesy. When we walked in the lobby, you could hear someone singing live. Every evening, they have live music in the bar area. We walked up and listened to the blind man who was singing. He was ok, but his voice wasn’t that strong and his guitar playing was sloppy. When he finished, they introduced in as Jose Feliciano. I didn’t expect to see anyone like him there.
On the way out of town, we had our annual stop at Waffle House. Our waitress was visibly upset by something. She didn’t bring our drinks until I asked for them after she had brought our food. I ordered an orange juice but got water. I didn’t complain. When she brought the food, she told Tina that she had dropped her bacon but was cooking her another order. And she had burnt her waffle but was cooking a replacement for that too. Later, the woman told us that she came to work straight from the hospital. She didn’t say if she had been a patient or had been visiting someone. Shortly after she arrived at work one female customer assaulted another one in a corner booth. They both left before the police arrived. I don’t think it had been that long since the incident because the area of the restaurant where it had happened was still messed up.
After I got home, I thought more about this year’s trip. The focus on meeting people made it more interesting than it has been in recent years. I have standard questions that I ask people every year. Where are they from, have they been to Elvis Week before, how many times have they been to Graceland and did they ever see Elvis perform. But I thought about the things I don’t know about these people, especially the ones who come every year. What do they do while they are in Memphis? Do they go anywhere but their hotel and Graceland? Do they go to the special paid events to see the celebrities and panel discussions? I’ve decided that I need to ask more questions in years to come.
