My first ever rock concert was the Elvis Presley show in New Haven, CT on July 30, 1976. My family took a chartered bus from Albany, NY. We sat high up on the right side of the coliseum, but we had binoculars which brought the action much closer.
He may have been carrying some extra pounds, but he put his heart into the show. He sounded strong vocally, and was ever so gracious with the fans. I remember thinking how cool it was that he played part of the show to the people sitting in the sections behind the stage. I also remember him cautioning fans to be careful as the stage was particularly high and he didn’t want to see anyone get hurt.
While he did not play Polk Salad or Burning Love, I did get to hear wonderful renditions of Love Letters, Hurt & an abbreviated Hound Dog before the night was over. As I recall, only one woman got a kiss that evening because of the height of the stage. I also remember someone tossing a bouquet of roses to Elvis which he caught, then dropped after apparently pricking his hand on the thorns. He did pick them up again before heading off stage.
If anyone out there has photos or clippings to share from this show, I would like to hear from you. We had to hop a bus back home immediately after the show so we never got to read the local reaction to the show. Regards, James, courtesy elvistribute.us
