Randy Elvis Friskie and his Las Vegas Show Band are returning to Campbell River with a brand new show.
That’s The Way It Is Tour will showcase on stage some of the most memorable moments and music from Elvis’ movies. Relive the 50’s, 60’s & 70’s movie scenes and songs from Blue Hawaii to Viva Las Vegas – including duets
with Ann-Margret, Marilyn Monroe, Shelley Fabares and more.
“I knew I was going to sing Elvis from the time I was a little boy and I saw Love Me Tender and cried when he died,” Friskie says. “My Mom had to tell me it was just a movie and that he was still alive. I started watching and singing and moving like him from from the time I was like five. I came from a musical family, played drums and guitar but whenever I sang, I always had an Elvis sound and feel. I just knew it was meant to be and to this day I don’t know how I know some of the songs.”
When he started out there were a few guys doing Elvis that called themselves Impersonators which was fine for them but Friskie said that he didn’t want to be an impersonator that he just wanted to do a ”Tribute” to the greatest performer that ever lived.
“A tribute – not a copy – as I believe Elvis was so cool ‘cause he felt the music and lived it and made people live it with him and feel and that’s what I wanted to do,” Friskie says. “I didn’t want to fake and try to be Elvis. I wanted to be natural as he was and give people a chance to see what it might have been like to see Elvis live and natural as I believe that’s when he was his best. That is why I made up tribute artist and that is what everyone uses now.
“I just love to perform and believe its what I was put on this earth for. I just love people and music and making people happy and smile. It is truly what I believe a real performer lives for the people and the music is what drives us. I don’t really think fame or making it is really all that important if we can do what we truly love to do and make people happy, guess that’s what I think making it is. I truly feel like I’ve made it when we do a really good fun entertaining show and the people stand and clap and dance and show you that what you have lived for is touching them and they laugh and cry and say how it was a great show or the best they’ve ever seen or how they met at one of the shows or they thought it was like seeing Elvis and I up there as one.
“We are doing something that has never been done before. We have received so many requests for movie songs and hearing people state that they remember certain songs from many of the different Elvis movies. So we have put together a show featuring the hits from Elvis’ movies so people can relive the excitement. There will be duets from the movies with Ann-Margret, Shelley Fabares and more. This gives people a chance to relive and remember.”
That’s the Way it Is Tour comes to Campbell River on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Tidemark Theatre. Tickets: $39.50. 250-287-PINK (7465).