I first saw Lisa Marie
Presley play to a gymnasium in Anderson, SC. Nine years later watching her
perform at Shelby’s Don Gibson Theatre Saturday it was apparent Elvis Presley’s
only daughter has come a long way as a musician and performer.
With her fourth husband
Michael Lockwood - a lankier Tom Petty-as-mad-hatter-looking guitarist and the musical
director of her band - Presley has tweaked her sound, her band, and her ease on
stage. When Presley released her first album, “To Whom It May Concern,” in
2003, the world looked on with curiosity. I saw her open for Chris Isaak on the
tour that followed. Although her album was good and she had a strong, smoky
voice like her father’s, she seemed uncomfortable with the attention in
television interviews and on stage. Not to mention the sound in that gym was
anything but forgiving. Nine years and two more albums later, that’s all changed.
Saturday she played for
a crowd of a few hundred who hung on her every note. In a floor-length fitted
white and black diamond-patterned gown (they asked no photos be taken) she started out like a classic torch singer
belting “So Long” from her latest album, “Storm & Grace” followed by
another one from the 2012 album (and my favorite) “Over Me.” The sheer backdrop
with rows of dotted lights peeking through gave the setting a lounge
feel while the band jammed like a well-oiled, modern Southern blues-rock version
of the Band.
In the hands of her band - decked out like carnival barkers in top hats and vintage velvet - the
songs became playful with bluesy guitar and ragtime piano elevated by rich
harmonies. The set was made up mostly of material from her T. Bone
Burnett-produced third album. It finds the once Melissa Etheridge-style rocker
assuming a more Americana musical personality. You can tell Presley still likes
to rock though. She’s got her father’s swagger, especially when she lets loose.
She was happiest banging on two floor toms during the last two songs of the
set. She likely wasn’t able to join marching band in high school and may have
missed her calling. Her joy brought the audience to its feet.
Her song introductions
gave the show a “Storytellers” feel. She was quick to credit co-writers. She
and her husband live in England now and she co-wrote much of the record with songwriter Ed
Harcourt and Richard Hawley (Pulp). She touched on their work with “Storm of
Nails” and the intimate “Weary,” respectively. She shared that her 21-year-old son
had the lyrics of the album’s title track, which she’d written for him,
tattooed on his chest. She later warned the crowd before breaking into an a
Cappella intro on the last song that she wasn’t sure she could pull it off. She
tore it up. Plenty of children of celebrities dream of music careers (look no further than that unfortunate VH1 competition series a few years back), but Presley is a natural singer. Her low, husky voice may not allow for scale
climbing, but it’s strong, unique, and gutsy. She was on her game all night.
Throughout the set
Lockwood went through the craziest array of custom designed guitars I’ve ever
seen. There was a white resonator with a geometric cut-out pattern, a blue
acoustic with a glitter-top, an orange hollow body with intricate line
patterns, and a more subdued acoustic that’s pick guard matched its Prince-like
headstock. Lockwood’s bluesy playing added another layer to Presley’s work as well. He tended to serve the song instead of relying on flash. His
guitars alone displayed plenty of flash on their own.
Older songs were given
new arrangements to fit the style of the show. “Idiot” - the Linda Perry co-pen
from her angry pop-rock second album “Now What” - got a makeover that seemed
more now and less glossy than the recorded version. Her first ever single
“Lights Out” stuck closest to its bluesy pop beginnings, while “S.O.B.” didn’t
lose anything in its revamped rootsier state.
Those and the encore
of “I’ll Figure It Out” were the only older songs she sang (I was hoping for my
favorite “Sinking In”). She briefly mentioned the
charity work that’s got her playing smaller cities like Shelby - sponsoring
children in third world countries. By the end of the encore half the animated crowd,
who’d remained seated for the bulk of the concert, gathered at the front of the
stage as Presley bent to shake hands while the crowd bopped to her version of Tom
Petty’s “I Need To Know.”
As for the Don Gibson
Theatre, it’s worth the trip. It looks like a theater from the `50s captured in
time. The décor is a bit retro. I loved the speckled black stall doors in the
bathroom and red and black tile work and the circular bar. The theater is a bit smaller than say, Neighborhood Theatre, but it’s less like a club and
more like a classy seated concert hall with the noise of the bar separated from the stage. From the lights behind the stage to Presley’s
dress, it all felt very vintage - not old and musty, but updated and modern
with retro flair. The sound was occasionally a little boomy at first, but worlds better than my prior experience in the gym where I had to strain to figure out what song she was singing.
Shelby is only a short drive away. We weren’t the only
out-of-towners for the show, which Presley said sold out in two days. We enjoyed vegan Thai at Joe's, a restaurant that specialized in Italian and Thai (what a combo!) within walking distance. The town seemed quiet, but there were a several open restaurants to choose from. My friend compared it to a smaller Asheville with its wine shop (which sponsored the concert) and yoga studio.
The next scheduled shows are ukulele whiz Jake Shimabukuro on Saturday and Edwin McCain's annual holiday show the day after Thanksgiving before the venue's concert schedule takes a break before picking back up in January. Make the trip. I’m
sure they’d be happy to have you. For more on the theater click here.
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