COMING SOON      LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL PIC BELOW  |
A visit with the King — Elvis tribute artist Mark Stevenz of Vancouver, Wash. autographs a program for fan Lisa Warren of Armstrong. Stevenz finished in third place in the professional division of the competition. By Mark Brett - Penticton Western NewsPublished: June 29, 2010 6:00 PM At age three Lisa Warren was an Elvis fan in the making. Although she was only a toddler back then, Warren vividly remembers her mother playing songs by Presley and still finds the music just as infectious as when she first heard it all those years ago. “We’d be eating dinner at our home in Nelson and listening to Elvis at the same time,” said the Armstrong resident as she garnered another autograph on the artist’s page of her official program. “The music then was so great and there were so many different types of music and it just gets you rockin’. I have two sons, seven and 10-years-old and next year they’re going to be here too.” So over the years having heard all the great reviews about the Penticton Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival, it only made sense for her to come and see just what all the hype was about. And like the thousands of others who took in last weekend’s performances by some of the best tribute artists in the business, she wasn’t disappointed. “There’s five of us girls here for this and we’re just having the time of our lives enjoying the atmosphere and everything is just great,” said Warren. “Last night we went to the indoor show which was also fantastic. I had goose bumps the whole time. From now on we’re going to be here every year and we’ve already booked our rooms for next year and tickets to the shows too.” The added bonus was the willingness of the performers to spend time with the audience members to talk about the reason both groups were in Penticton for the three-day celebration. Among the 26 participants (14 professionals and 12 amateurs) was pro Mark Stevenz of Vancouver, Wa. who is a true embodiment of what it takes to be The King for a day. His first appearance as Elvis was actually in a community theatre performance in his home town. “I was a firefighter at the time and had short hair and I thought well I sure don’t look like him so I started growing sideburns and growing my hair out and I sang six songs for this play and it kind of took off from there,” said Stevenz who eventually wound up in third spot. “From that point I started working at looking more like him and sounding more like him. It’s really an art craft — a way of life — you can’t just come up here and throw on a suit and be him. “Even though I never got to see him, Elvis’ music really moves my soul like no other music ever has. It just feels wonderful and touches me inside. He was my favourite entertainer of all time so it’s like I get to be my hero.” Also in town for the festival was venerable Vancouver broadcaster Red Robinson who had the unique opportunity to meet the real Elvis over a half-century ago. “What blows me away is that here we are in 2010 and the man’s image and music are bigger than ever,” said Robinson during a break backstage. “The versatility of Elvis touches people in different ways and there’s been no one to replace him. Yeah Michael Jackson came along and he was big for some but to have a legacy that lasts like this is incredible.” He described Presley as very down-to-earth and someone who was and would still be flattered by the fact so many people enjoy walking a mile in his boots. “He had no conceit, vanity yes, he cared how he looked but no conceit, he was everyman,” said Robinson. Festival chairman Barry Sjolin described this year’s event as the “smoothest ever and a raging success.” |
