31 janeiro 2007

Chegou chegou chegou!!!

Depois de um mês e 17 dias, finalmente chegou meu Membership Kit do Elvis Insiders. Está lá meu cartãozinho lindo vermelho provisório, dois certificados (não sei porque, aliás, se a assinatura como membro é só minha), além de um pingente, uma cartinha básica de boas vindas, um pequeno portfólio explicando o que a gente ganha ao tornar-se membro do fã clube e o que eu estava mais esperando: um ingresso para a Platinum tour gratuito por Graceland, que inclui: visita aos aviões de Elvis, ao Sincerely Elvis Museum, ao museu do automóvel de Elvis e ao Elvis After Dark.

Eu só não posso usar isso nos dias 15 e 16, mas levando-se em conta que chego lá dia 13 e saio dia 20, há tempo de sobra. Ou seja, dá para conhecer Graceland com bastante calma.

Muito chato isso, viu?

22 janeiro 2007

Transporte local

E uma menina do Elvis Insiders conseguiu descobrir os horários e os valores dos trolleys que passam lá em Memphis.

De segunda a quinta, o horário de funcionamento é das 6h às 23h30. Na sexta, ele circula das 6h a 1h da madrugada. No domingo, só começa às 9h30 da manhã e segue até 1h. No domingo, o funcionamento é das 10h às 18h.

O custo por treco é de 1 dólar.

Isso é que eu chamo de mão na roda.

17 janeiro 2007

Menos de sete meses

A contagem regressiva continua.

Menos de sete meses para a viagem e para o 16 de agosto.

Estava vendo o site Memphis Tours e, de tanto papear no Elvis Insiders, os passeios já estão definidos e/ou desejados para além da programação da Elvis Week, afinal, eu adoro ser turista.


Entre os mais populares (tirando Graceland, óbvio) estão:


Rock N Roll Tour in Memphis - duração de 3 horas (inclui conhecer a famosa estátua de Elvis, Stax Records Museum e Stax Studios Museum e o túmulo de Carl Perkins);

Estúdios da Sun - com duração de 3 horas também;

"Cruzeiro" pelo Rio Mississipi - duração de 1 hora e meia;
Estes eu devo fazer COM CERTEZA, principalmente os dois últimos.

16 janeiro 2007

Enquanto isso...

Ando meio ocupada estes dias, mas não podia deixar de publicar esta notícia. Nota-se que não sou apenas eu a relembrar o Rei neste 2007:

Covers de Elvis Presley cantam juntos e quebram recorde na Austrália
da Ansa, em Sydney

Trinta anos após a morte do ídolo, fãs australianos de Elvis Presley fizeram uma curiosa homenagem ao cantor ao fim do festival anual de seus "covers" (imitadores), o "Elvis Festival", que terminou na noite de ontem na cidade de Parkes (400 km a oeste de Sydney).
Vestidos como o cantor --com brilhantina nos cabelos e óculos escuros-- 147 covers de Elvis bateram recorde ao cantarem juntos uma de suas músicas. O recorde anterior era do Festival do Elvis (de Collingwood, no Canadá), onde 78 imitadores haviam cantado juntos suas músicas.A interpretação apaixonada de "Love Me Tender" foi documentada por observadores do Guinness, o livro dos recordes.
"Não conseguimos fazer que todos coubessem no palco", disse com orgulho o prefeito de Parkes, Robert Wilson, também vestido como Elvis.Cerca de 6.000 admiradores do ídolo, outro recorde, foram à pacata cidadezinha de Parkes para a 15ª edição do festival. No ano passado, o público chegou a 5.000, quase dobrando a população da cidade --de apenas 10,5 mil habitantes.
Outras 60 atividades ligadas ao ídolo enriqueceram a programação do festival, que durou quatro dias. O festival foi encerrado ontem, com café-da-manhã seguido de uma missa gospel --que reuniu 1.600 pessoas-- e um show com os maiores sucessos de Elvis Presley no parque da cidade.Muitos casais renovaram seus votos de fidelidade ao som de "Love Me Tender" e diante de Bean Vegas, o único padre oficial de casamentos estilo Elvis.

10 janeiro 2007

Passagens compradas

Demorou, mas graças a Deus tá tudo resolvido com as passagens. A princípio, a agência tinha me conseguido um vôo saindo de Recife às 7h e chegando em São Paulo às 10h22 pra de lá eu pegar a conexão pra Atlanta somente às 23h.

Eu tinha D-E-T-E-S-T-A-D-O isso! Afinal, o que danado eu ia fazer por mais de 11 horas no Aeroporto de Guarulhos em pleno Dia dos Pais, pelo amor de Deus? Detalhe: na volta, eu também iria esperar mais 12 horas pra poder pegar o vôo de volta de Sampa para Recife. Resumindo a ópera: eu não queria comprar essas passagens de jeito nenhum e por quase um mês protelei.

Daí, ontem, perguntei a menina da agência se não havia saída pra lá pros Estados Unidos a partir do Galeão. E...

Voilá!

Ela achou.

Menos de uma hora depois eu já estava comprando as passagens novas e PELO MESMO PREÇO da outra opção: 1.300 dólares.

Voando TAM, saio de Recife dia 12 de agosto< às 15h, faço uma escala em Salvador e chego no Rio às 18h50.

A decolagem do vôo da American Airlines está marcada para às 21h55, chegando em Miami às 5h30 do dia 13 de agosto.

De lá, saio para Memphis em um vôo direto também da AA às 11h05 e chego na cidade de Elvis às 12h30.

No dia 20 de agosto, saio de Memphis às 6h rumo a Nova Iorque, com conexão em Chicago, chegando na Big Apple às 11h20.

Volto pro Brasil dia 24 de agosto, saindo de Nova Iorque às 21h30 e chegando no Rio às 10h55 do dia 25 de agosto.

Lá passo o dia na Cidade Maravilhosa e embarco pra Recife num vôo direto da TAM com saída do Rio às 20h e chegada aqui às 22h50.

Fiquei tãaaaaaaaaaaao feliz por ter resolvido essa pendenga, mas tão feliz tão feliz que saí da agência cantarolando Singin' in the Rain, trilha sonora ótima para momentos de felicidade imensa.

08 janeiro 2007

LONG LIFE TO THE KING!!!!

O que falar sobre 8 de janeiro?

Basta dizer que é aniversário de Elvis.

Mr. Presley nasceu há exatos 72 anos, na cidade de Tupelo (no estado do Mississipi), filho de Vernon e Gladys. Seu irmão gêmeo, Jesse, nasceu morto.

Mas isso é coisa pra biografias.

O importante é que hoje é dia de celebrar. Trouxe uns 10 CDs pra ouvir o dia inteiro.

Cheguei tarde no trabalho fazendo esteira ao som de Elvis. À noite, o TCM preparou uma seqüência de cinco filmes do homem pra gente comemorar: O prisioneiro do rock (Jailhouse Rock), Com caipira não se brinca (Kissin' Cousins), Amor a toda velocidade (Viva Las Vegas), Feriado no Harém (Harum Scarum) e Louco por garotas (Girl Happy).

Enquanto isso, lá em Memphis, a galera se juntou à meia-noite pra cantar Parabéns Pra você:



E esta é Graceland ao amanhecer desta segunda-feira:



Aliás, agora pelo o que entendi está liberado tirar fotos no Portão das Notas Musicais. Ô coisa ruim, mô Deus!!!

E eu colocarei meu nome no "murinho" de Graceland. Ô coisa chata!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELVIS!!!

07 janeiro 2007

Elvis, the King

Na véspera do aniversário de Elvis, tava lembrando do dia que escrevi num antigo blog a relação das 100 músicas dele de que mais gosto.

Tentei recuperar essa lista e não achei, daí fiz de novo e incrementei mais 50. É que à medida que vou conhecendo novas canções mais eu viro fã e, confesso, não consigo fazer uma listinha pequena. Então, lá vai:

Minhas 150 músicas favoritas de Elvis (sem ordem de preferência):

1 - The first time ever I saw your face

2 - Com'on everybody

3 - Love me

4 - Trying to get to you

5 - Why me Lord

6 - How great thou art

7 - Blueberry hill

8 - Help me

9 - An American Trilogy

10 - My baby left me

11 - Lawdy miss claudy

12 - Can't help fallin' in love

13 - He touched me

14 - Amazing Grace

15 - Lead me, guide me

16 - Heartbreak hotel

17 - I got a woman

18 - Baby let's play house

19 - Burning love

20 - You gave me a mountain

21 - Steamroller blues

22 - It's over

23 - I'm so lonesome I could cry

24 - Suspicious minds

25 - I'll remember you

26 - Mistery train

27 - You don't have to say you love me

28 - Until it's time for you to go

29 - You've lost that lovin' feelin'

30 - Polk Salad Annie

31 - Reconsider baby

32 - Don't be cruel

33 - (Let me be your) Teddy bear

34 - For the good times

35 - Funny how time slips away

36 - Are you lonesome tonight?

37 - Always on my mind

38 - Hurt

39 - Fairytale

40 - Early mornin' rain

41 - What'd I say

42 - And I love you so

43 - I want you, I need you, I love you

44 - Don't

45 - It hurts me

46 - I just can't help believin'

47 - I've lost you

48 - Memphis, Tennessee

49 - You'll never walk alone

50 - Rubberneckin'

51 - A little less conversation

52 - His hand in mine

53 - Wooden heart

54 - G.I. Blues

55 - Shoppin' around

56 - Blue moon

57 - Kentucky rain

58 - I'll hold you in my heart (till I can hold in my arms)

59 - Help me make it through the night

60 - Snowbird

61 - Little cabin on the hill

62 - (You're so square) Baby I don't care

63 - All shook up

64 - Stuck on you

65 - Surrender

66 - (Marie's the name) His latest flame

67 - Return to sender

68 - Cryin' in the chapel

69 - In the ghetto

70 - The wonder of you

71 - If I can dream

72 - Memories

73 - Big boss man

74 - Trouble

75 - Baby, what you want me to do

76 - Where could I go but to the Lord?

77 - Little darlin'

78 - Moody blue

79 - For the heart

80 - Bossa nova baby

81 - Never ending

82 - Sweet Caroline

83 - I'm leavin'

84 - Fool

85 - It's only love

86 - Sylvia

87 - Separate ways

88 - My boy

89 - Twenty days and twenty nights

90 - How the web was woven

91 - Mary in the morning

92 - Just pretend

93 - The next step is love

94 - A mess of blues

95 - I feel so bad

96 - We can make the morning

97 - Release me

98 - Walk a mile in my shoes

99 - Promised land

100 - If you talk in your sleep

101 - Thinking about you

102 - You asked me to

103 - I got a feelin' in my body

104 - Peace in the valley

105 - Farther along

106 - Flaming Star

107 - I got lucky

108 - Girls!Girls!Girls!

109 - Because of love

110 - Fun in Acapulco

111 - Mexico

112 - Kissin' cousins

113 - Roustabout

114 - Little Egypt

115 - There's a brand new day on the horizon

116 - Girl happy

117 - Spinout

118 - Easy come, easy go

119 - Double trouble

120 - Clambake

121 - Stay away, Joe

122 - Speedway

123 - Your time hasn't come yet baby

124 - Let yourself go

125 - Edge of reality

126 - Clean up your own back yard

127 - Change of habit

128 - Make me know it

129 - Fever

130 - I gotta know

131 - Such a night

132 - For the millionth and the last time

133 - Fountain of love

134 - (You're the) devil in disguise

135 - Suspicion

136 - Slowly but surely

137 - Down in the alley

138 - Tomorrow is a long time

139 - Hi-heel sneakers

140 - Singin tree

141 - Long black limousine

142 - Wearin' that loved on look

143 - You'll think of me

144 - A little bit of green

145 - I'll be there

146 - True love travels on a gravel road

147 - Power of my love

148 - Do you know who I am?

149 - Only the strong survive

150 - Follow that dream

04 janeiro 2007

Eu não disse?

Eu acho que no pessoal da EPE tem alguém que fala português e ando lendo este meu diário. Leiam só o e-mail e vejam se não tem tudo a ver com o post sobre o Ano Elvis.


Elvis & EPE 2007 - The 30th Anniversary Year in Preview

Following is a press release issued today by Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.:


THIRTY YEARS LATER,ELVIS CONTINUES HIS REIGN

With younger and younger audiences discovering Elvis and the number of projects planned for 2007, the King of Rock & Roll continues to entertain with a career reaching new generations. The anniversary year begins with the January 8 celebration of his birthday at Graceland and continues through Elvis Week 2007 in August, which promises to be the largest ever.

MEMPHIS, TN – December 26, 2006 -- Nearly thirty years ago on August 16, 1977, legendary entertainer Elvis Presley died at age 42. In his 23-year career, he become the top-selling recording artist of the music industry, spent time on Hollywood's lists of highest paid actors and top box office draws, broke viewer ratings records with his television specials and television guest appearances, and broke concert box office records in Las Vegas and on national tour. At the start of his career, his unique, instinctive, natural blending of pop, country, gospel and R&B music, presented with his charismatic and then-provocative style, touched off a revolution in music and popular culture. Today, his influence still reverberates and his presence seems more ubiquitous than ever.

There are at least 400 active independent Elvis fan clubs around the globe and on the Internet there are hundreds of Web sites devoted to interest in the superstar in addition to the official site, Elvis.com. In recent years, Elvis CD and DVD releases have topped the sales charts in territories around the world. Today, licensing activity for official Elvis products and ventures is at an all-time high. Recently Atlantic Monthly magazine published the results of its poll of ten eminent historians to name the 100 most influential figures of American history. Elvis Presley is one of only a handful of entertainment artists to make the list.

Graceland Mansion, his beloved home in Memphis, Tennessee, which has been open for public tours since 1982, welcomes over 600,000 visitors per year - half of them today are age 35 and under. In 2006, the Graceland staff played host to President George Bush and avowed Elvis fan, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan, an event that generated extensive media coverage everywhere. Also in 2006, Graceland Mansion, the most famous home in America after The White House, was designated a National Historic Landmark in recognition of the fact that Elvis Presley lived there. Presently, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE), the company that manages the Presley assets, and its parent company CKX, Inc. are engaged in developing a master plan for an extensive revamping of the property surrounding the original Graceland grounds. It’s currently scheduled to be realized within the next few years and will include new visitor amenities, exhibition and entertainment facilities, and hotels.

Now, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. and CKX, Inc., along with their collaborators, licensees and venture partners, are preparing for a full and exciting year of activity in 2007, the 30th Anniversary of Elvis' passing, which is expected to help carry the Elvis phenomenon to even greater heights. It begins with the Elvis Presley Birthday Celebration at Graceland in January, follows through with special DVD and CD releases and special official products from licensees, and crescendos in August with what is expected to be the biggest of all the annual Elvis Week celebrations to date.

Among the key happenings in 2007 are:


The Elvis Presley Birthday Celebration

The 30th Anniversary year of 2007 will have its official kick-off with The Elvis Presley Birthday Celebration, a roster of special events at Graceland and elsewhere in Memphis, January 5 through January 8. Among the events are The Elvis Presley Birthday Pops presented by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Memphis on January 6 and the annual Elvis Presley Day proclamation ceremony at Graceland Mansion on the morning of January 8.


DVD and CD Releases

Currently on the global market as the 30th Anniversary year is about to dawn are the Summer 2006 single-disc concert releases Elvis: '68 Comeback – Special Edition DVD and Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii – Special Edition DVD, which are follow-ups to the 2004 smash hit release of deluxe box sets of material shot for these programs, and the November 2005 release Elvis – The Ed Sullivan Shows, a three-disc DVD set containing in their entirety the three Ed Sullivan Show episodes in which Elvis appeared.

Completed and in limited release in 2006 are the single-disc DVD Elvis Lives – The 25th Anniversary Concert and the DVD box set Elvis: The Ultimate Movie Collection – Graceland Edition, both of which will see their full retail rollout in early 2007. Anticipated for 2007 are upgraded DVD re-releases and first-time DVD releases of a roster of Elvis Presley movies.

In the summer of 2007, EPE is set to release an all-new and expanded edition of its popular DVD, Elvis Presley's Graceland – The Official Tour DVD.

Information on the aforementioned DVDs can be found on Elvis.com and ElvisDVDs.com.

Details are forthcoming regarding plans by Sony BMG, owner of Elvis Presley's RCA Records label catalog, to commemorate the 30th Anniversary year.


TV Land


Throughout August 2007, the TV Land network will pay tribute to Elvis Presley featuring his movies, televisions specials and other programming, including material from Elvis: '68 Comeback – Special Edition DVD and Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii – Special Edition DVD. "Elvis Month" on TV Land will be complemented by an off-air promotional campaign.


Graceland's Silver & Gold Anniversary and More

The year 2007 marks not only the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley, but also the 25th anniversary of the opening of Graceland Mansion for public tours and the 50th anniversary of Presley's purchase of his famed home. Elvis bought Graceland in March of 1957 and it opened to the public in June of 1982. In addition to the aforementioned new Graceland Tour DVD release, commemorating this dual anniversary will be the enormously popular artist Thomas Kinkade, who will unveil his special painting of Graceland Mansion and release limited edition prints, which will be available in both canvas and paper. The painting will be unveiled in a special event at Graceland in March 2007, approximately one year after Graceland was designated a National Historic Landmark.

Also in March 2007, a special exhibit of Elvis Presley's stage costumes from the major concert era of his career, 1969-1977, will open in the Graceland visitor center at the Sincerely Elvis Museum, an exhibition space that features a new themed exhibit each year or so. The permanent exhibits at Graceland relating the story of Elvis' career feature a significant display of costumes, which hold a certain fascination for the general public and have great meaning to devoted Elvis fans. The special exhibit will feature more than 50 additional Presley stage outfits, such as the famed "jumpsuits," with metal and rhinestone studding and matching capes, and others with elaborate embroidery. In addition, there will be related photographs, archival documents and performance footage. The special exhibit will be on display for two years.


EPE Product Licensees

A number of EPE's roster of over 200 licensees will commemorate the Elvis 30th Anniversary year with special products. Among those to be further detailed in individual press releases as the big year unfolds include the following:

In January 2007, Bruce Rossmeyer’s Southern Thunder Harley-Davidson, one of the dealerships owned by Bruce Rossmeyer, who is one of the largest retail franchisees of Harley-Davidson® motorcycles (the preferred brand of cycle enthusiast Elvis Presley), will open a permanent satellite location called Graceland Harley-Davidson in the visitor center across the street from Graceland Mansion. The company will also introduce the design of a limited edition of thirty Harley-Davidson motorcycles to be specially customized in tribute to Elvis for the 30th Anniversary year. Construction on each of the thirty bikes will commence as each advance order comes in. All are scheduled for completion in the summer and purchasers will be given the option of attending a special ceremony at Graceland in August during Elvis Week 2007 to pick up their custom Elvis Harley-Davidsons. The design will be completed and unveiled in early 2007.

In July 2007, The Hershey Company will introduce a limited edition of their Reese's peanut butter cups with an image of Elvis Presley on the packaging and a specially formulated peanut butter and banana crème flavor. The product will have a significant promotional campaign behind it.


Elvis Week 2007 in Memphis

Elvis Week is the annual gathering of Elvis fans and media from around the world for events at Presley's beloved Graceland Mansion and throughout the city of Memphis in celebration of the singer's life, career and legacy. Tens of thousands of fans are expected to make the 30th Anniversary edition the biggest Elvis Week to date. Along with the traditional Candlelight Vigil at Graceland, key events are the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, the first-ever official Elvis tribute artist contest presented by EPE, and Elvis: The 30th Anniversary Concert starring the real Elvis Presley via video technology, accompanied live on stage by an orchestra and a large cast of his original concert musicians and back-up singers. Elvis Week 2007, set for August 11-19, will include approximately four-dozen entertainment, social, sports and charity events.

The 30th Anniversary Concert, to be staged at FedExForum in Memphis on August 16, is already over 70% sold out purely as a result of online communication directly with the worldwide Elvis fan base, including 430 top-price VIP ticket packages that sold out in 20 minutes when tickets quietly went on sale September 12, 2006. Until now, there has not been an actual press release to announce the concert and the first concert advertisement has yet to run.

The full roster of Elvis Week 2007 events presented by EPE and by participating organizations is still being planned. A continuously updated calendar of events can be found on Elvis.com or one can go directly to the calendar through the address ElvisWeek.com.

03 janeiro 2007

Yes or No?

Agora que passou a agonia do passaporte, hora de fechar o pacote.

Primeiro passo: as passagens.

A menina da agência me ligou hoje à tarde com uma ótima notícia:

Uma tarifa 400 dólares mais barata.

Ao invés dos 1.700 dólares cobrados pela Delta Airlines pro trecho ida-e-volta, a American Airlines está oferecendo o mesmo por 1.300.

Cinco vezes parcelado sem juros no cartão.

Mas....

Como tudo que é ruim tem seu lado bom, tudo o que é bom também tem seu lado ruim.

O vôo daqui de Recife para São Paulo sai às 7h da manhã e a conexão para os Estados Unidos só sai às 21h.

Se fosse no Rio, não haveria problemas. Sairia do aeroporto e daria uma bela volta pela Cidade Maravilhosa, mas em São Paulo?

O que raios vou fazer lá o dia INTEIRO?!?!?!

02 janeiro 2007

Começou o Ano Elvis

E a contagem regressiva continua, mas agora eu já posso:

- fazer todos os planos com a certeza de que eles serão realizados com mais tranqüilidade;

- elaborar meu roteiro de passeios com riqueza de detalhes;

- definir todo o orçamento e começar a pagar;

- comprar dólar;

- criar a listinha do que quero trazer.

Enfim, curtir essa fase tão boa que é a pré-viagem.

Ô COISA CHATA! :P