Elvis is Everywhere! The Tupelo Elvis Festival

by Kevin Wierzbicki

Some years ago musician, actor and one-time MTV pitch man Mojo Nixon recorded a song called "Elvis is Everywhere." An amusing song about how Elvis Presley seemed to be omnipresent even after his death, the song declared that "Elvis is in everybody!" The notion that Elvis is everywhere rings true in Tupelo, Mississippi, the birthplace of the King of Rock and Roll, especially during the city's annual Tupelo Elvis Festival.

'Elvis' performs with the T.I.C. Band

David Allen

The Tupelo Elvis Festival celebrated its 25th anniversary this year and took place June 8-13. The action happened mostly in Tupelo's Cadence Bank Arena, a large venue where the world's best Elvis tribute artists put on shows that wowed fans with interpretations of Presley favorites drawn from all points in his career. While every concert was thrilling, the most anticipated event was the competitive Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist finals show on June 10 that culminated with the naming of this year's winner, Jesse Aron of Green Bay, Wisconsin. After the 10 finalists sang Presley favorites like "Kentucky Rain," "Never Been to Spain," "Fame and Fortune," "Impossible Dream," "That's All Right Mama," "Just Pretend" and many others, the field was narrowed down to five finalists. Coming in second after Aron was Louis Brown and third place went to David Allen; also among the five finalists were Landon Sholar and Matt King. Aron's performance earned him $5000 in cash along with a bunch of other awesome prizes. All performances were backed by the T.I.C. Band, an amazing outfit from Australia that specializes in Elvis music. Comprised of a drummer, bassist, guitarist and three-man horn section, T.I.C. played note-perfect renditions of every song, an impressive feat considering that they were working with a different singer every few songs. Also grabbing the spotlight were T.I.C.'s three background singers, one of whom sang bass so intensely that his vocals seemed to rumble up from deep underground, garnering him many ovations. The show was emceed by famed Elvis expert and television personality "Tupelo" Tom Brown.

Louis Brown

The Tupelo Elvis Festival's week of Elvis mania was topped off with an incredible show, the 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee Concert. Again featuring the T.I.C. Band, the concert showcased five singers, all of whom were previous Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist winners: Jay Dupuis, Dean Z, Ben Thompson, Pat Dunn and Brandon Bennett. And to really make the show special, the T.I.C. Band was aided by the North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra who added dramatic overtones to the set. The five singers were really at their best as they reeled off Elvis chestnuts including gospel songs like "How Great Thou Art" and performing classic Presley stage moves like karate kicks for the rowdier numbers. In a stunning first, the five took seats on stools and sang a medley of Presley's more sedate songs, giving the audience emotional moments that earned massive applause. The memorable show finished up with the shooting off of two confetti cannons that showered the stage and crowd with sparkly metallic pieces before two final songs were performed as encores. The excitement was palpable as the crowd exited, some folks wondering aloud how the 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee Concert could possibly be surpassed next year. Fans can find out June 6-9, 2024 when Tupelo once again will be rocking with the Tupelo Elvis Festival.