The big show

Tonight is the night of the big show and I know it is going to be a late night.  So I decided to take it easy today.  After a leisurely breakfast, I headed over to WolfChase Galleria Mall and did a little bit of shopping.  By the time I was done, it was time for lunch.  I checked the GPS and saw that I was very close to a Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken location.  They are known for their hot and spicy chicken.  I was worried that it would be too spicy for me but I was assured by others that it is spicy in terms of flavour and not heat.  I had the two piece white meat plate which came with beans and coleslaw.  There is a reason why Gus’s is so highly rated on TripAdvisor.  The chicken was moist and flavourful.

World famous chicken

Yummy fried chicken

 

When I got back to the hotel after lunch, I headed down to the pool to relax and rest.  Today by far was the hottest day on my trip.  I went back up to the room and decided that I should pack up my suitcase because I will get back late and I will be in no mood to pack in the morning.  By the time I was done, I thought I should grab an early dinner before the show.  Just down the road from the hotel is the original Corky’s BBQ location.  I know what you are thinking … BBQ again.  But if you only have a few days, you need to cram as much BBQ as possible.  I went with the half rack ribs served wet with beans and coleslaw.  These were the best ribs that I have had this entire trip.  I ended up buying a bottle of their sauce to take home.

The original location

Best ribs of the trip

 

As I was making my way to the venue, I got a text from Robin (Darren’s brother) wondering if he could get a ride from me.  I said sure and swung by his hotel and picked him up.  We got to Minglewood Hall just before 6:00pm and noticed that the parking lot was getting pretty full.  This was a great sign since there was some concern that many of the tourists had already left town.  We had a little bit of time before the show, so we just hung out backstage looking over the set list and getting each of the costumes ready to go.

The crowd is getting anxious

 

The Kattawar Brothers opened the show.  They are comprised of Mike Sr (drums) and Jerry (piano).  They are Mike Jr’s dad and uncle.  Mike Jr is Darren’s partner in the “Burn ‘n Love” show.  We had seen them perform in the past and they are very entertaining.     The lights dimmed and all of a sudden I hear the intro music for “Burn ‘n Love”.  Still to this day, I get goosebumps when I hear it.  Darren came out to “C.C. Rider” with so much energy and the crowd went wild.  When Darren finished the song, he introduced Robin and the crowd got very excited … Two Elvis’.  While one brother was on stage, the other was backstage changing costumes.  They did sing together a few times and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed that.  Towards the end of the show, Darren started handing out scarves and then there was a crowd of ladies trying to get one.  Even Robin handed some out.  The show ended with “American Trilogy” … How did two hours go by so quickly.  Many people hung around after the show to get photos and autographs from Darren and Robin.  It was a fabulous show and I was so glad that I made the trip to see it.

Darren Lee

Darren Lee

View from the private boxes

 

Robin Kelly

Darren Lee and Robin Kelly

Darren Lee

Robin Kelly

Robin Kelly and Darren Lee

Robin Kelly and Darren Lee

Robin Kelly, Darren Lee and Dayan Kai

Darren Lee and Marcus

Black leather segment with the Burn ‘n Love band

Darren Lee

Darren Lee

 

It is a ritual after a show like that, to go out for dinner.  We ended up at Marlowe’s which is just down the road from Graceland.  Elvis was known to frequent this restaurant.  After enjoying one final BBQ meal, it was time to say goodbye.

Marlowe’s ribs

 

 

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *