The penultimate tour: 35th anniversary

Here's a few shots I've acquired over the years.

Very nice! Thanks a lot for posting these!

Augusta, ME May 24th; Augusta Civic Center (attendance 8000)

When exactly did Elvis first set foot in Maine? I can only guess that this happened during the early hours of the morning of May 24th. In any case, he spent most of the day at Sheraton Tara hotel in south Portland, watching his fans gathering around the hotel from behind a tiny corner of foil covering his hotel room window and wondering "Man! There are sure a lot of people down there!" . He stayed in room 807 and apparently left a little memento behind:



I wonder who bought that sink! Also, according, to Larry Geller, he revealed to Larry and Charlie Hodge his future plans:

He paused and stammering slightly, said, "I'm going to get rid of the ol' Colonel. I need change, new blood...I've had it with him. And I also want a different lifestyle...this one has gone on long enough. After the next tour, or the one after that it will happen - a drastic cut." He then listed the guys who'd be fired...

Whether true or not, it certainly makes nice reading. As concert time approached, he stepped into a bus to take the 55 mile trip up to Augusta Civic Center, a relatively new and small auditorium.



It was one of those concert halls without air conditioning, which prompted Elvis to ask the crowd "Are you hot?" at the beginning of the concert. The memories of Elvis' only Maine appearance still linger, and the plaque below can be found in the Civic Center today:



Elvis apparently did not use any dressing room while in Augusta, but rather stayed in his bus to wait for showtime. From this very site:

Indeed as the show began inside, there weren't too many people left outside...We noticed a large bus outside the Civic Center that was parked near an entrance on the side, and we thought it was simply a bus used by fans from other States, so we didn't pay much attention to it. There were six of us in our group, and somewhere around 9:45 p.m., four of us (including myself) decided to go inside and find our seats, but two decided to stay outside until the last minute. In fact these two made the right decision as some five minutes later after we left, Elvis got off that bus and went inside the Civic Center. My two friends weren't very close to the bus at that time, but close enough for shouting " Hi, Elvis ! ", Elvis didn't speak at that time but waved to them as he heard them. Elvis had a black coat over his Sundial jumpsuit and was wearing glasses.

So let the show begin!



Harold Newton (left) was back taking pictures along with Len Leech (right) at this show:



About three years ago, this show was released on a CD called "Augusta - Once and For All". I do not have that one, and my impressions are based on the old cd-r version.

C.C. Rider / I Got A Woman - Amen / Love Me / If You Love Me / You Gave Me A Mountain / Jailhouse Rock / O Sole Mio - It's Now Or Never / Little Sister / Teddy Bear - Don't Be Cruel / My Way / Heartbreak Hotel / Introductions / Hurt / Hound Dog / Can't Help Falling In Love

To me this sounded again like a solid show, at least up to the intros after which the show is again terminated in rapid fashion. I especially liked My Way and Heartbreak Hotel from the cd-r. The audience certainly appreciated him...

Reviews appeared in the local Kennebec Journal and Bangor Daily News and this time the AP wireservice put out a review/story which subsequently appeared in papers around the US.





Here's the AP photo is somewhat better quality:



The AP story told us how

Elvis didn’t even have to sing. He moved a leg, a finger, shook his head and the screams of adoration swelled from more than 7000 throats as he came to Augusta, Maine Civic Center last night...Dressed in a white jumpsuit with silver brocade, Elvis showed a slight paunch. But it hardly mattered. He sang and brought down the house. The favorites were his old hits. As the last song was sung, there was a slight hush. And as the lights went up, showing no Elvis, there was a collective groan.

The local paper wrote

Tuesday night more than 7,000 got the thrill of a lifetime when Elvis Presley, the undisputed King of Rock and Roll, played the Augusta Civic Center. It was electric, and it was made even more so by the fact that Presley was late. His Greyhound bus rolled across the grass at the rear of the Civic Center to within yards of the back door. Twin columns of policemen kept the path clear as Presley sprang out of the bus and into the building...Although all the excitement would make it difficult to for one to make an objective assessment of the concert, it was a slick production...It was pure Presley. All the elements of what he is were there - gospel, soul, rock, and plenty of excitement.

The Bangor paper was (quite) pleased as well:

When a legend and superstar like Presley is to be on stage, the show becomes less of a concert, in the traditional sense of the world, and more of a sociological phenomenon.
Nevertheless, it was Presley’s singing that was the most pleasing part of the evening’s production. When the Pelvis took his place before the microphones, nearly two hours after the scheduled showtime start, he worked his larynx (and other more noticeable parts of his million dollar anatomy) like a pro...At times, Presley was frustratingly incoherent. He slurred many of his between-song comments, and mumbled as if he were slightly tipsy, or else just oblivious to the world around him.

One of the curious moments of the show was when Felton appeared on stage (on orders from Elvis) in the middle of If You Love Me to do...what? If you've ever wondered what embarrassment looks like, just take a look at Felton here. The whole thing can be witnessed on video too:

With the concert over it was back to Portland (in a bus) where he would spend the night...the next show would be in Rochester, NY. Unfortunately I'm unable to continue this thread until Tuesday May 29th when Elvis was already in Baltimore. I may cover the three missing towns later on...

I kinda guessed this thread wouldn't be missed... Anyway, to bring it to a timely conclusion, let's go back 35 years today to Mobile, AL...

Mobile, AL June 2nd; Mobile Municipal Auditorium (attendance 11000)

Having arrived in Mobile the previous night (?), Elvis spent the day in the Sheraton Hotel getting ready for his 7th and final Mobile show in as many years. All appearances took place in the Municipal Auditorium (today the Civic Center Arena). Shown below is the exterior in the 1960s and today.



As can be seen the arena is a circular one. Below the interior of the arena is shown before the 1973 Mobile show and as it is today.



Elvis arrived to the arena accompanied by at least Dr. Nick and Ginger...although Lee Cotten's book says there "was a woman introduced as Alicia". it certainly looks like Ginger to me. Elvis had only just picked her personally on May 30th in Memphis after having sent her home from Binghamton on May 26th...



So then it was showtime for last time on this tour.



At least Gerald Berry and George Hill were among the audience taking shots.



A few years ago this show appeared on CD under the imaginative title Last Stop in Mobile:

C.C. Rider / I Got A Woman - Amen / Love Me / If You Love Me / You Gave Me A Mountain / Jailhouse Rock / O Sole Mio- It's Now Or Never / Help Me / An American Trilogy / Polk Salad Annie / Introductions / Hurt / Hound Dog / Unchained Melody / Can't Help Falling In Love

The recording is not very comfortable listening, with Elvis being quite distant. Of note is the final appearance of American Trilogy, which Elvis botches up by coming in too early on the final chorus. Unchained Melody gets an acceptable airing. All in all, it sounds like an unremarkable show, though.



The only review I've been able to find appeared in Mobile Register - they were much too kind in my opinion:

What can one say, but Elvis Presley is still the KING, at least in the eyes of his devoted fans who filled the Mobile Municipal Auditorium Thursday night for his long-awaited concert. This time around he didn’t fail to please. Considerably improved over his last time here, Presley is – without a doubt – older but wider. But then, who isn’t – especially among his older fans? His vocals were many, varied, impressive, thrilling and professional. He could step up the pace between songs, omitting some of the extraneous talk and the epithet...

After the show it was back to Memphis...and then back on the road in just 2 weeks...for the final time.

So that's this tour covered - thanks for reading. I don't think it's the worth the time and effort to cover the 8 missing shows...

Thanks very much for the time and effort put into this Tom. I've really enjoyed this thread.

Thanks Tom, this is a very interesting thread.

Wonderful job,Tom Very interesting! But the one with him togeher with Felton is one of the worst I have seen .

Great work, Tom! Thanks for your work.

Fantastic thread, if only there were more

The pics with Felton and Charlie are really tragic

Great thread, thanks for sharing.

MORE PLEASE. BRING ON THE OTHER SHOWS

I may sporadically update this to include the rest of this tour, starting with...

Rochester,NY Rochester Community War Memorial (attendance 10000)

Having spent the night in Maine, Elvis checked out the Sheraton Tara Hotel in the morning of the 25th and started the journey towards Rochester.



But how did he make that journey? In 1976 he couldn't use the Lisa Marie to fly into Rochester because the runway was too short - he had to make do with a smaller prop plane as shown in the picture below. A story in the Binghamton paper on May 25th mentions how "when Presley does arrive at Broome County Airport, it will be on board a plane chartered from Commuter Airlines" but in the next day's paper it is mentioned that "the 42-year-old living legend of rock and roll arrived at the Broome County Airport aboard his privately owned four-engine passenger jet, which airport officials said was one of the largest ever to land in the county. " So had the runway in Rochester been lengthened in the past 10 months? Anyone know for sure?



Whatever plane was used, Elvis stayed on it until showtime. This was the second visit to Rochester in 10 months. The show took place at the local War Memorial, which today is the Blue Cross Arena. It looks a lot different today compared to 1970s.



This is one of those arenas which gives quite a cramped impression when looking at pictures of Elvis on stage that night, A picture taken from the other end of the hall opens up the place considerably. Virtually all the photos we have from this night are taken from the first few rows.



But now it's already showtime!



The photographers on hand this night were Len Leech, Bob Heis and Sean Shaver, at least.



A lot of times Rochester and Baltimore photos are mixed up with each other, the reason being the drapes in the background. One easy way to tell these two shows apart is the fact that Rochester drapes had flowers on them.

This show originally appeared on CD way back in 1993, under the title of Jailhouse Rock Man in Concert. Recently, an upgraded edition appeared on the Straight Arrow label. I have not made that upgrade, so my assessment is based on the old CD.

C.C.Rider / I Got A Woman -Amen / Love Me / If You Love Me / You Gave Me A Mountain / Jailhouse Rock / O Sole Mio - It's Now Or Never / Little Sister / Teddy Bear - Don't Be Cruel/ Trying To Get To You / Danny Boy (S.Nielsen) / Walk With Me (S.Nielsen) / One Night / My Way/ Introductions / Hurt / Hound Dog / Can't Help Falling In Love

The show actually sounded OK to me (the sound quality is harsher on the old release apparently) but momentum is again spoiled by two Nielsen numbers. Trying to Get to You, Little Sister and One Night are solid efforts. But once more, the show is concluded quickly after the intros. The audience seems to enjoy the show all the way.

The TFC box gave us quite a bit of nice footage from this show - if you don't let the constant cutaways and Nielsen moments spoil it...

The show was reviewed by the two local papers - Times-Union and Democrat & Chronicle. The D&C reviewer was disappointed at how show's momentum seemed to get lost:

And then, things started to happen. Elvis sang a rollicking and rocking Little Sister, one of the better tunes from his middle period and a song I’ve never known him to do in concert. Next came a medley of two early classics Teddy Bear and the great Don’t Be Cruel. Hot dog, Elvis is going to get goin’ tonight! A superb rock ballad from his Sun Record days – Trying to Get to You – was next and it fit right in. And then…he let the moment go. He introduced the Italian-Irish tenor again to sing...and the momentum went right out the door and down the Genesee River.

The T-U review was quite harsh, maybe even overly so:

For Elvis just didn’t seem to be trying. He strolled through some of his best songs, trailed by a little man supplying scarves that were passed along Elvis’ neck and directly into the hands of hungry fans...Much of the time he sang low and lazy... He mumbled semi-audibly between songs and apparently didn’t feel the need for courtesies like facing the audience while singing. He also slowed the show down by taking his own sweet time sipping drinks between numbers. Only occasionally did we feel Elvis was serious about delivering a first class performance.

Elvis didn't stay in Rochester any longer than was absolutely necessary - he left right after the show and arrived in Binghamton just after midnight...

I love this thread. Keep em' coming!

I love this thread. Keep em' coming!

Me, too.

Thanks so much. You really get a feel for how it was then, how he might have gotten through it, the details. And the reception. As elvisjock pointed out, it was only a short time, and yet by this time, most of the reviews were "amazing a 92-year-old can even get on that stage." It must have been so hard for him, and confusing, too. Yet he did it, and seemed to do his best. (He was sick, and shouldn't have been out there, but he was. And he did it.)

Thanks for sharing.

rjm

Fantastic thread and great pictures

Thank you very much

Nice work Tom - many thanks!

Binghamton, NY May 26 & 27: Broome County Veteran's Memorial Arena (attendance 7200 x2)

What on earth was Elvis doing performing in Binghamton? Here he was, though, about to give the two best shows of this tour. Was it because he'd sent Ginger home or did he just relax at such a small venue? Who knows?

Elvis arrived directly from Rochester at 12.16 AM, according to the local paper. He spent the next two days in local Treadway Inn. The show itself took place at the Broome County Veteran's Memorial Arena, which despite the grand name was one of the smallest arenas Elvis played - it was primarily a hockey rink. It has hosted several other big names in its entertainment history: such as Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Kenny Rogers, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Van Halen, Elton John, Cher and Dolly Parton, The outside picture below is taken by Francesc - thanks!



There aren't that many pictures around from the first show - 3 that I know of. The second show is much better represented.

Here's Elvis leaving for the first performance - with an apple. Ginger is nowhere to be seen, so she's already in Memphis.



This is one of the 3 photos I've seen from this show, again courtesy of Francesc:



In the TFC set we of course have nice footage from this show:

A screengrab from the footage show Elvis with a hat, and I could have sworn I've seen a photo of this same moment. But then again, maybe not...



The show has been released on CD called Unchained Elvis which appeared in 2000, if I recall correctly.

C.C. Rider / I Got A Woman -Amen / Love Me / If You Love Me/ You Gave Me A Mountain / Jailhouse Rock / O Sole Mio - It’s Now Or Never / Little Sister / Teddy Bear - Don’t Be Cruel / And I Love You So/ Why Me Lord?/ Polk Salad Annie/ Introductions / Hurt / Hound Dog / Can’t Help Falling In Love

The quality of the recording is in the top-tier of audience recordings - a very enjoyable listen. After Don't Be Cruel Elvis asks "What'll we do next? What do you wanna hear, folks?" Whenever he starts accepting requests, it's a clear sign that he's in a good mood. It's not clear whether the next three songs are requests...the show ends with "wise men know, when it's time to go..."

Then it's back to Treadway Inn where a small drama develops. As they arrive to the same door they used when leaving, they find it locked. Len Leech witnessed the scene:

In between beating on the door, Elvis smiled and posed for pictures. The bodyguards got nervous after a girl leaped up on the platform so Elvis said " OK boys, calm down. Let's get back in the car." They all piled in the car, backed it up and turned around, and drove slowly out into the thick coliseum traffic, as the hotel was just across the street from the arena...ten minutes later they came back the same way and almost flew from the car to the back door (which was open by this time) as there were hundreds of fans there by then wondering what was causing all the commotion.

The reviews appeared in the local papers, the Evening-Press and Sun Bulletin, the next day (again, courtesy of Francesc!!):

He is a presence, more than a performer. During one song last night, the spotlight showed only his left foot and pantleg, tapping furiously to his excellent band’s rock. Just that image was enough. He didn’t have to do anything more.
In the dark, the rest of his 42-year-old body rather calmly was leaning against one of the 10 singers who accompany him. One hand was stuck casually in his pocket. He sipped a Coke. But the foot tapped, the goldleaf design sparkled in the lights and fans went wild.

The gyrations which made him famous on television are a distant memory - and the ever-present paunch is an unpleasant reminder of age - but to the 7,000 who packed the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena last night, Elvis Presley never sounded better...Several members of the audience said they were disappointed Elvis didn't perform longer. Several others said they were upset by his pudgy appearance. Still others complained that Elvis should have sung more of his early numbers.

After the show Elvis complained about not being able to sleep alone, and got Kathy Westmoreland to spend the night with him.Kathy kept him company until Ginger returned in Jacksonville. According to Larry Geller, it was this night when Elvis made the remark about looking good in his coffin, whereas Kathy has that taking place in Rapid City.

In any case, there was another show to do Binghamton, and in my book it was this show that was the best on this tour. If FTD ever releases a soundboard from this tour, this would be my choice.



The show was captured on film by at least, Len Leech and Sean Shaver - not many fan photos have surfaced to this day.



This show has also been released on CD back in 2005:

C.C. Rider / I Got A Woman -Amen / Love Me / If You Love Me / You Gave Me A Mountain / Blue Suede Shoes / Teddy Bear - Don`t Be Cruel / Heartbreak Hotel / Bridge Over Troubled Water / O Sole Mio - It`s Now Or Never / Love Me Tender / Introductions / Hurt / Hound Dog / Unchained Melody / Can't Help Falling In Love

The lineup includes some surprises such as Blue Suede Shoes, Heartbreak Hotel, Bridge Over Troubled Water and as a request, Unchained Melody. On Bridge he feels that the mic he's using isn't able to pick up the soft tones, so a switch is made. The new mic elicts a comment: "Try this son-of-a-bitch!". As he prepares to leave, a request is made for UM - he says "OK, I'll try it." and performs a very good version of the song - one of my favorite ones, I might add. The sound quality of this recording is worse than that of Unchained, but it's still listenable.



And as you've guessed, there is footage of this show on Youtube, from the TFC set, with multiple angles, no less:

After the show, it was on to Baltimore Hilton where he would stay the next couple of nights --- things were about to take a turn for the worse.

Great information! Thank you!

Fascinating stuff.

What a great thread! Lots of new information (to me). Thanks a lot!

Oops, I'm almost a month behind. Well, no matter - here's a brief rundown on

Philadelphia May 28: The Spectrum (attendance 18850)

After the good Binghamton concert, Elvis was about to give one of his worst concerts. Why was that? Was it nerves or did he over medicate? A combination of both? Whatever the reason, this show is sad watching and listening.

Elvis apparently stayed at Baltimore Hilton for the next two nights. I don't know how he traveled to Philly - anyone? This was to be the fourth visit to Philadelphia and his fifth show there during the 1970s. The venue was the legendary Philadelphia Spectrum, which today has been demolished and given way to a...car park.



This photo apparently shows Elvis climbing onto stage at Spectrum, although in the film footage you clearly see one of the Stanley boys leaning on the railing at the same time. Well, maybe there were several sets of stairs to climb...?



The show started in regular fashion, but pretty soon it becomes obvious that this will be a low energy show.



Several of the known Elvis photographers were in attendance, along with Bruce Springsteen. The ones I'm aware of were (from left to right) Len Leech, Bob Heis, Harold Newton...



along with Phil Gelormine and Keith Alverson:



The first appearance of this show was on a LP called Philadelphia '77, which sported a great cover photo, from March 74. Recently, this show made an appearance on CD, under the title Last Time in Spectrum. I used to have the LP but today I have neither that or the CD. The quality of the recording is quite listenable - I may need to get this one eventually.

C. C. Rider / I Got A Woman - Amen / Love Me / My Way / Jailhouse Rock / You Gave Me A Mountain / O Sole Mio- It`s Now Or Never / Little Sister / Teddy Bear - Don`t Be Cruel / And I Love You So / Polk Salad Annie / Introductions / Hurt / Walk That Lonesome Road (The Stamps) / Hound Dog / Can`t Help Falling In Love

The only "surprise" is the early spot for My Way. The show is padded out with intros and Stamps' number - the whole thing is a very low key affair.



Big portions of the show can be witnessed in more detail and angles than needed from Youtube, again via TFC box set.

The show was given a painful review by Matt Damsker of the local Evening Bulletin:

Elvis ‘77 is paunchy, puffy, lumbering, frequently off-key, apparently under-rehearsed (he has to read the first verse of My Way from a page of sheet music) and, for all that, the most outrageously condescending showman I have ever seen. He performed Saturday as if just roused from a drunken slumber, slurred his witless patter as if still slightly in-the-bag, and otherwise gave no sign of artistic integrity. There are dolphins who perform more affectingly.

The reviewer across the river, of Courier-Post of south New Jersey, was noticeably kinder:

During his hour and 10 minutes on stage, Elvis touched all bases – rolling his knees and hips suggestively and reaching out blindly to the people as multi-colored spotlights traced his every step, changing his white sequined costume to red or blue. Little Sister, Jailhouse Rock and Hound Dog were some of the big hits he recalled from the past, with Hound Dog setting the place on fire...The only things missing from the Presley of another era were a guitar and the wild gyrations that once prompted the late Ed Sullivan to ban Elvis’ lower extremities from his television show. Probably the most applause came at the end of the show when Elvis promised everyone he’d be back next year and then, in a somber voice, remarked: “Contrary to what you may have read or heard, I’m in good health.” With that he was gone. There would be no curtain call, no second round of applause. Today was over, next year was to be anticipated.

The show over, an exhausted looking Elvis was escorted back to Baltimore, where during the next evening he would give a legendary performance...in the wrong sense of the word...

Thank you again for this awesome thread. Fascinating !!

The footage from Philly is pretty tough to watch, he looks truely terrible

A thunderstorm hit, so I got an excuse to continue this sorry thread towards its obviously bitter conclusion. So next in line is the notorious show:

Baltimore May 29: Civic Center (attendance 12451)

In the previous post I had some doubts as to how Elvis and the troupe moved from Baltimore to Philly and back. Well, since then I've come across this piece from the Baltimore Sun, published on June 5 1977, which details the events before and after the show.



From it we learn that "the entourage arrived at the Hilton the previous afternoon (May 28), bused to Philadelphia for a concert that night, then bused back to Hilton." We also learn that the troupe came down for breakfast at noon , and that 11 banana splits were delivered to the Presley suite. As far as Elvis' movements are concerned, it is reported that "Presley leaves the 25th floor at 10 PM...he acknowledges the two dozen fans hanging around with a wave of his right hand and again by lifting a large coke he is holding in the air as the limousine passes onto the street." It is also reported that Elvis leaves for Jacksonville right after the show. The photo below apparently shows Elvis on his way to the show - but is that a coke?



The show took place in the Civic Center, today the 1st Mariner Arena, which has been under a demolition threat for some time, but for now is still being used. Here's what the venue looked like in the 70s. As this was one of the arenas with no seating behind the stage, it has always looked small in photos, but as we can see from the interior shot, it's quite spacious, after all.



This is what arena looks like today:



As Elvis left for the show at 10 PM, the show got underway right on schedule with Elvis walking onto the stage.



Looking at the photos and footage from this show, it's hard to see that much wrong (by 1977 standards) with Elvis; he actually looks better than the previous night in Philly.



Of the known Elvis photographers Len Leech and Keith Alverson were in attendance:



This show first appeared on shiny back in 94, I think, under the title "Send Me Light". I hadn't listened to it in years, and my attempt this time resulted in said CD flying into the bin - the sound quality was that bad. Recently, a new source (or just improved?) appeared on the Memory label, and, while not perfect, is a clear improvement over the earlier release.

C.C. Rider / I Got a Woman -Amen / That’s All Right / Are You Lonesome Tonight / Blue Christmas / Heartbreak Hotel / Love Me / Jailhouse Rock / You Gave Me a Mountain / Danny Boy (S.Nielsen) / Walk with Me (S. Nielsen) / Teddy Bear- Don’t Be Cruel / Walk That Lonesome Road (The Stamps) / My Heavenly Father (K. Westmoreland) / Introductions / Hurt / Hound dog / Help Me / Unchained Melody / Blue Suede Shoes / The Wonder of You (1 line) / One Night / O Sole Mio-It’s Now or Never / Can’t Help Falling in Love

To me the Elvis sections sound OK. When he leaves, he just leaves...leaving a bewildered audience behind no doubt. When he comes back, he asks "What do you wanna hear?" A man close to the recorder says "Unchained Melody!" Then someone in the first row makes the very same request and Elvis complies. The man is elated: "Yes!" he goes; a woman next to him tells Elvis to "play the piano":



Len Leech reported on this show in Rex Martin's newsletter in June 1977:

Very unusual concert, shades of Vegas '73...he said he had to leave the stage and check the sound system...after almost a half hour, Elvis walked back on stage...and picked up as if he had never left...he once again did a fantastic treatment of Unchained Melody..Elvis spent half of CHFIL trying to take his TCB ring off his finger...obviously annoyed, he finally got the ring off and surprised everyone by dropping it into the sea of hands reaching up in front of him.

The TFC set gave us nice, although fragmentary, footage from this show:

After a show like this you would expect the reviews to attack Elvis. However, as the reviewer for the Sun ha to leave early, before Elvis' departure, to meet a deadline, his review is quite kind and positive:

The king is slightly paunchy now in his white spangled suit and the hair seems dyed. But the main ingredients of the image are intact - the boyish, almost feminine face; the sexual pelvic movements and the country voice that croons the rhythms of white rock welded onto black soul.Like his management, Elvis' show was intelligent and well-paced...The myth of Elvis has become almost as large as that surrounding the late Howard Hughes. Some even wondered, as they did with Hughes, if the man on stage were really Elvis. It was impossible for them to reconcile the legend in their minds to the spectacle of a mere man showing the signs of middle age. Of course, by this time Elvis is virtually impervious to all criticism.

I have not been able to find any other local reviews; the only thing I managed to locate from Baltimore News-American was a two-picture caption of fans lining up for the show. Then there's the Variety review we're all familiar with. And yet, a piece from Rolling Stone July 1977 clearly says there were other local reviews. Anyone know in which paper(s)?

The performance was roundly attacked in the local papers (one reporter comparing the flop to the final days of Judy Garland)...Why was Elvis all shook up? One backstage source overheard an explanation which accounted for Presley's behavior: he had eaten five banana splits before the show.

The banana split comment is interesting, as Larry Geller mentions this in his book, although he had it taking place a week earlier - but in Baltimore Hilton, too. So the reason for the exit might just have been a case of stomach trouble due to those splits (and of course the fact that his digestive system was a mess at this point).



All in all, this show is not nearly as bad as one expect: unusual, yes, even somewhat sad. But performances are much better than the day before. As already mentioned, Elvis left directly after the show for Jacksonville for the first make-up show for the aborted March tour- but by 5AM he would be somewhere else entirely. Stay tuned for further developments in this exciting thread!