Karaoke Elvis: The Best Free Show in T-Town

From the Planet Weekly "Editor's Pick," Issue 268

On the dark and stormy night of December eve, Danny and I stumbled into Egan's to seek shelter from the wind and rain. There was no cover, so that meant we had nothing to lose. Little did we know at the time that we would find just what our entertainment taste buds craved. The one-man-band Chris Johnson, a.k.a. Karaoke Elvis, transcends all definition. To witness an Elvis impersonator covering the likes of The Ramones, The Monkeys, Johnny Cash, The Animals, The Doors, The Rolling Stones and Green Day is a rare - and to my knowledge - unprecedented sight, that one will see and hear in his or her lifetime. Actually, "Elvis" covering these other bands may be his niche and certainly he brought the crowd to the dance floor with some of his strongest renditions of the evening. Of course, he relied on the tried and true Elvis favorites, too.

Nothing gets you in the holiday spirit more than seeing Elvis - or at least the next best thing. Even more, how about an Elvis that will sing whatever your eardrums desire? Here you go! Johnson appeases the crowd not only with his well-tuned vocals, but with a full night of requests. "Suspicious Minds" was such a hit that we heard it for a second time on a re-request. "House of the Rising Sun" is not an easy song to sing, but Karaoke Elvis nails it (no pun intended).

Tirelessly, he wails on extended sets of about 40 songs that clearly indicate his passion for the music that he loves to perform. He only took a break that night to talk to Planet Weekly (see, we are special!). Throughout his show, he exudes endless energy as he churns out the rock-and-roll classics from the 50's to the present.

Surprisingly, Johnson has never been to Graceland, yet on a pilgrimage to Las Vegas he was paid tips from other tourists to have their photos taken with him! He also sent a postcard to Egan's from Las Vegas just to let friends and staff know that "The King" was in good hands. This trip inspired Johnson to plan a "dream job" goal of one day returning to Las Vegas to perform professionally. Already on the casino circuit, he plans on making a January trip to the Philadelphia, Miss. Silver Star Casino to compete in an Elvis impersonator contest, and we wish him the best!

The Planet Weekly would like to thank Chris Johnson and the staff at Egan's for showing us such a good time! In addition, Johnson gives a special thanks to Ashley Hill, the manager of Egan's, for allowing him to strut his stuff.

"I'm having more fun than them," claims Johnson. But, I think that's debatable. See for yourself and book him for your party at (205) 242-8403.

I'll close with this: You could tell that everyone had a great time at the bar that night when they had to be chased out by its employees, us included. Catch him while you can without paying a cover because this guy is hot!