Elvis Still In Form, Fills Sports Arena
by Paul Omundson
San Diego Evening Tribune
November 1970

There were old men with grey hair, middle-age women with their children, and a lot of girls in their late twenties, and all were at the Sports Arena last night to see Elvis

Needless to say it was a sell-out crowd of over 15,000. It was the first time ever the Sports Arena. It was the first time ever thast the Sports Arena has had a capacity home. The Rockets have never been able to do it, tom Jones couldn't do it, even the Rolling Stones didn't quite make it.

But for 15 years Elvis has been drawing full houses and it seems there is no end in sight.

Gospel Group Leads

The first half of the show started with the Imperials, a gospel group that sounded and even looked like the Four Freshmen.

They did only two songs and then made way for the Sweet Impressions, who drew an enthusiastic ovation for their rendition of the Beatle's "Something," and some wild, old-fashioned gospel-style shouts and stomps.

Finally to round out the first half was comedian Sammy Shore. His series of jokes on the San Diego Zoo and his cigarrette routine drew a few laughs but then he should have had sense enough to let a good thing be.

Humor Not Enjoyed

Instead he went on and on with jokes that left many in the audience wishing they had tomatoes to throw at him.

But that was all forgotten in the midst of wild screams as Elvis made his way onto the stage to start the show again.

He started with "Ive Got A woman" then went into a deep soft rendition of "Love Me Tender."

During a hard-driving version of "Poke Salad Annie," Elvis brought the house down with a take off on the dancing styles of Tom Jones and Glen Campbell.

It was quite clear that nobody had the flair for showmanship the way Elvis did. his wiggles and swirls drew gasps and squeals from the women in the audience, just as it did in the fifties.

He ended every song with a dramatic leap with his arms flung out and his body shaking.

Old Songs Favored

The crowd liked his old songs best: Things like, "Johnny Be Good," and "Heartbreak Hotel" were done in his best fifties style. And when he got around to "Blue Suede Shoes," the crowd went wild.

He ended the show with "I Can't Help Falling In Love," and before the applause had hardly begun he was in his limousine and out of the Arena.

Left behind were a lot of memories of good old rock and roll, the way it was int he beginning by the man who started it all.

Courtesy of Scott Hayward