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Lisa Marie Presley Live At The House Of Blues, Las Vegas

By Dan Siciliano, September 16, 2003 | Other
Ok, so the first solo tour ever of the King of Rock's Daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, kicked off at the House of Blues Here in Las Vegas Saturday night September 13th 2003 and I was there, more curious than anything, to hear for myself just how well Lisa can sing.

The House of Blues is located inside the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino in Las Vegas and usually presents up and coming bands and smaller crowds due to its limited seating, or in my case, standing. Yes, the majority of the venue is standing only. Well, one advantage is that you are pretty close to the stage, but standing for over 3 hours can take its toll on you. So after arriving at about 7:30pm, we waited in line with a crowd that more closely resembled a Cher concert that anything else, so I’ll just leave it at that. We got in, went to the bar ($20.50 for a beer and jack and coke!) and sipping very slowly, we waited for the opening act. A surprisingly good band called John Eddy played for around 45 minutes. Sort of Country rock with songs that had a lot of four letter words in them. But they were good! The music was fun and loud and most of us sure wanted to hear more. The time was 9:45pm.

Then, after about a 30 minute intermission, the star attraction, Lisa Marie Presley, came on stage. Lisa was wearing a Pink short sleeved top with a black skirt and some "Black Things" resembling stockings on her legs. Her hair was half pulled back with just enough to fall to the sides.

All I could say when I first saw her in person was, WOW, she sure looks like her dad. The same smirky smile and those eyes... It must run in the family, but from the moment she came on stage to the moment she left, her left leg did not stop shaking! Please don't get the wrong impression, Lisa is her OWN person and has her OWN qualities, but any one who is an Elvis fan cannot miss the similarities.

As Lisa came out on stage holding a wireless mike, I heard the same things that have been reviewed before. Her voice is very set back and almost gets lost in the music. Only the very highest notes and the loudest vocals are clear. If I had not heard "Lights Out" on CD prior, I would have had a hard time hearing the words live in concert. The whole show, unfortunately, was the same. Now, Lisa's music is different and in my opinion, very good. Maybe she is still unsure of herself and that is why the mix is so uneven. A lot of echo and gets lost in the back. You could tell Lisa was still nervous about performing live, but this is natural since it is her First solo tour and she has only performed a handful of times in the past.

Lisa has good stage presence, a wonderful smile, and is sincere. I think we are seeing exactly what Lisa wants us to see. This is Her! And she is doing it because She wants to! It was something she felt she had to do and I’m glad she did! Lisa's voice is low and sometimes gritty, but it translates into a sultry tone that has distinguishable qualities. Some may argue about the quality of the music, some may harshly judge her against her Father, But I for one, was glad to be there to see her and support her.

Whether or not Lisa tours again, well time will tell. But I was there for her as she kicked off her first ever solo tour and I wish her nothing but the best. Have I heard better singers, of course! But have I ever seen Elvis' daughter, not until Saturday night, and I’m glad I did! It was worth it just to see her smile...

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EspenK wrote on September 24, 2003
Who is Dan Siciliano, that wrote this article? A professional newswriter/reviewer or a regular reader of Elvisnews? A member of the Elvisnews-staff perhaps? Or is this copy-pasted from another magazine/website? Not that it matters much, I'm just curious. Note ElvisNews: Dan is a member of and regular contributer to ElvisNews.
SilviaZ wrote on September 29, 2003
I cannot imagine that she will ever come to Europe. Neither did Elvis. But I hope that I am wrong ;-)
Crawfish wrote on November 14, 2003
I would love Lisa to come to UK and wish her all the very best. A pal of mine was taken to Las Vegas for her 40th to see Lisa and she came home saying the same things; how similar to Elvis she looks and that her voice is great, but totally different to Elvis style and I just feel it is a shame people don't give her a chance. I truly hope she is enjoying herself and in the years to come am sure she will blossom, but I can't help but feel sorry for her because Lisa is surely damned if she does and damned if she doesn't. Lisa, go out there and enjoy it all. We would love you to visit London and sing for us here.
TCB fan wrote on September 23, 2003
When is she comming to the Netherlands?