Elvis was in the building

The Milford Theater was packed on April 1 when Elvis tribute artist Jesse Garron stepped onto the stage.

He looked like Elvis, he sounded like Elvis, his mannerisms were pure Elvis - and the crowd went wild. Garron was, for all intents and purposes, Elvis.

“We do this to bring joy to the people – to give them a respite from everything that is happening in the world,” said Julie Malewski, who is one of the two back-up singers and Garron’s wife.

Indeed, the concert was like a time capsule which was being opened as Elvis’ music transcended the decades from 1956 – with his first international hit, “Heartbreak Hotel” – to today. And the audience was engaged in every minute and with every song. Garron even mentioned things like the rotary phone, records, albums, and vinyl, and remarked that some in the audience probably didn’t recognize these anachronisms.

Many of the people in the audience were not old enough to have seen Elvis in person. But that didn’t matter. They came because they love his music.

“Ever since I was a teenager, I loved his music. We saw all the movies, we collected all the memorabilia,” said Helen Abraham, who came to the concert with her sister and son.

Bob Larsen actually did see Elvis in person back in the day, but it was in Madison Square Garden in New York City and their seats were high up in the rafters. “You couldn’t see anything,” Larsen said, “but here – this is really nice and close, and you can feel a part of it.”

Celeste O’Neil was attracted to the show because she had just seen the movie, “Elvis” and because of the recent passing of Lisa Marie.

“I felt I had to go,” she said. “It felt like a concert in Vegas, but was much more intimate.”

Mildred Launt said she enjoyed the show, adding that it was important to keep Elvis’ music alive and for a tribute artist to bring back the special talents that Elvis had.

“He did a great job,” Launt, who’s been to Graceland three times, said.

In Elvis tradition, Garron really interacted with the audience by giving out scarves. When people walked up to the stage, without missing a beat, Garron would place a scarf around their necks and give them a little hug. He, like Elvis, would also banter with the audience and actually walked into the audience as he was singing.

There were two pint-sized Elvis fans (about 6 years old) dancing in the aisle. Garron embraced them and gave them each a scarf. The audience roared.

“The man was true to Elvis,” Joe Papaleo said, “and he has a fabulous voice.”

Doug Cosh said that the lighting was very professional. At times, the lights were flickering to the beat of the music. “It’s great that Milford has this now,” he added.

Not every show is the same. Garron entertains requests from the audience and back-up singers Julie Malewski and Jessica Nicols choreograph the moves, plan every aspect of the show and are prepared for anything.

Garron performed about 30 songs in a 90-minute non-stop performance. With amazingly high energy, he also sang gospel and some popular songs that Elvis actually included like, “Proud Mary” and “Sweet Caroline.” True to Elvis’ tradition, Garron ended the concert with “Can’t help Falling in Love.” And of course, the audience did fall in love with him.

There was a meet and greet in the theater lobby at the end of the show and Garron made himself available to meet everyone who wanted to have their photo taken with him. There were already requests to have them back again next year.