Big E. and the House of Grace

As fairly new residents of the Bluff City, Alex and I knew very little in the way of how to act as Memphians early into the internship, often eating ribs with a knife and fork, driving our cars up and down Main Street, and sipping white wine from a stemmed glass while calling people "Yankees."

Whatever the case, we had no idea how to handle ourselves.

In an effort to correct an obvious cultural deficiency, the two of us, along with Alex's friend Wes, set sail to immerse ourselves in all things Memphis, with the first stop being Graceland, the onetime home of Elvis Presley.

The three of us knew very little of the music icon, so we readied ourselves for an educational Saturday.

It didn't take long for our cultural perceptions to be shocked. A large crowd at the welcome center was gathered around a stock car donning Elvis' face on the hood. Not sharing the same excitement as the others, we instead got our picture taken in front of a painted backdrop of Graceland. We would have our chance to buy the photo at the end of the tour, but we passed on buying them after we had a worker take a real picture of us in front of the house, for free.

At that point, we knew we were in. We were really doing it. Graceland. After a few seemingly mandatory high-fives, the three of us got our act together, picked up the tattered headsets that would serve as hosts to an audio-guided tour and boarded a shuttle filled with wily seniors that carried us through the front gates.

We were given a relatively comprehensive introduction to the history of the King's homestead, and then we were off, set free to roam through the multitude of themed rooms that collectively comprised the home of one of music and pop culture's greatest contributors.

Alex and I have put together a photographic tour that documents what we saw. Enjoy.

As soon as we walked into the first room of Graceland and witnessed the twin-peacock stained glass doorways, Alex and I knew we were going to dig the rest of the tour. Most believe Elvis' style to be tacky and ridiculous, but you must understand, stuff like this is right down our alley. I'm wearing a sequined American flag poncho right now!

It seems the room that leaves the biggest impression on its guests is the "Jungle Room". The room is full of wood panels with tribal carvings that completely embrace the heart of the Congo. The room is also featured in Marc Cohn's 'Walking in Memphis', a popular song of ours at the ballpark.

An area we dubbed the the "TCB Room," the three of us decided it was the most down-to-earth section of the Presley estate. Those walls not adorned with a slew of mirrors, and there aren't many, are highlighted by bright yellows and blues that culminate in a glorious lightening bolt-accented cloud that simply exudes "Taking Care of Business," a mantra we have all adopted in the days since our visit. With its porcelain monkey centerpiece, it's hard not to think that Elvis truly represented the "everyman."

In his later years, Elvis became synonymous with a variety of decorative jumpsuits, much like the one you see in the above picture. We too tend to fancy the tiger print and have both been very close to buying one of these similar shirts.

But why bring up our March journeys now in August? Well...it's Elvis Week in Memphis, that's why. And the Redbirds are getting into the Hound Dog spirit Friday night at AutoZone Park. When the team returns from their road trip out west to face the Sacramento River Cats, AZP will put on an Elvis-themed fireworks show.

 

So, any 'Suspicious Minds' should take a 'Mystery Train' or perhaps a 'Long Black Limousine' to AZP Friday August 14, for when the 'Blue Moon' is out, the sky will be 'All Shook Up' with fireworks. If you don't come out, 'That's All Right', but remember 'It's Now or Never'.