January 10, 2000
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
If you closed your eyes
and just listened to the voice, it was easy enough to imagine that you
were at an Elvis Presley concert Saturday night at the Rosemont Theatre.
Heck, even after you opened
your eyes, the simulation by Presley stylist Trent Carlini was so good
that it was difficult not to get caught up in the hysteria that permeated
the concert.
The Chicago-born Carlini
performed on what would've been Presley's 65th birthday. But because Elvis
died young and still relatively pretty, our lasting image of him isn't
that of a gray-haired, Social Security recipient--but rather a vital, sexy
performer who kick-started rock 'n' roll.
Carlini's two-hour plus
concert was divided into three sets. He started with a re-creation of Presley's
" '68 Comeback Special." Clad in a tight, black leather ensemble, he had
Presley's routine down pat, from the swivel-hipped grinds to the sexiest
air guitar this side of, well, Presley. And though he is no doppelganger
for the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Carlini has perfected Presley's facial expressions
and physical mannerisms so well that he more often than not appears to
be Elvis.
And as for the voice, it's
strong enough to fool even the most die-hard of Elvis aficionados. Whether
he was tackling "Blue Suede Shoes" or gently caressing the spoken word
bit from "Are You Lonesome Tonight," Carlini did a convincing job of capturing
Presley's rich voice.
Backed by a taut 13-piece
band, Carlini closed the show re-enacting Presley's 1972 concert at Madison
Square Garden. This time, he strutted onstage wearing a studded white,
flared bodysuit. Limber and lean, he went through all the favorites: "All
Shook Up," "Suspicious Minds" and a heartbreaking rendition of "Impossible
Dream."
By this time, screaming
women were lined up at the stage vying for his attention, as well as the
sweat-drenched scarves he was tossing. The sight of grown women grabbing
scarves out of the hands of children was just strange.
The low point of the show
occurred in the middle set. While Carlini changed costumes, his sister
came onstage for two solos. Hey, this wasn't part of the deal. Presley
never brought his (non-existent) sister out to sing with him.
And just when things looked
as though they were going to return to all things Elvis, Carlini appeared
back onstage--dressed like a normal dude rather than the King--and sang
15 minutes worth of Presley songs that he updated with hip-hop beats and
Eminem-style rapping. The booing started during "Fever." Not even the four
scantily clad backup dancers could deflect the crowd's disappointment.
The fact is, Carlini has
a superb voice and shouldn't have a difficult time launching a solo career
that's not Presley related. But this wasn't the forum to test those waters.
This was a crowd that didn't know Eminem from M&M's. But then again,
it's likely that Elvis wouldn't have known the difference either.
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