Lisa Marie Presley came to 89 North Music Venue in Patchogue on Wednesday night, and for about an hour and twenty minutes she and her five piece band transformed it into Lisa Marie Presley Boulevard. The venue was the perfect setting to view rock royalty up-close, and it seemed as if the audience was invited to an intimate jam in the “Jungle Room” at Graceland. Lisa Marie entered to the crescendo of the “Early In The Mornin'” intro into “So Long”, and she held court until she left the building leaving behind a delighted audience, the band having let off exhaust like the engines of the plane bearing her name.
Living in the shadow of Elvis Presley is a formidable task for any performer, but having her first two albums reach platinum should have already dispersed whisperings of entitlement. Lisa has co-written nearly every song in her catalog, with only a few covers mixed in. Songs from To Whom It May Concern (2003) and Now What (2005) were interspersed throughout the evening. 2012′s release Storm And Grace dominated the set list, but songs from 2003 onward were covered.
After Lisa Marie praised the “good, rowdy crowd after two days off” (for the band on the tour), she followed with numbers including “Over Me”, Storm Of Nails”, “Weary”, “Idiot”, “S.O.B.”, Soften The Blows”, and “Sticks And Stones,” and closed out the festivities with a raucous version of Tom Petty‘s rocker “I Need To Know”.
89 North is a fine spot to see your favorite artists up close, the staff are friendly and inviting. Seating is very limited, so unless you purchase VIP seats, be prepared to be in standing room. Opening act The Bobby Volkman Trio from Ronkonkoma, NY rocked the house with a fine rockabilly set of covers and originals, and reminded us of the musical heritage which is the nexus of the Presley roots.
– Bob Wilson
[cover photo from www.lisapresley.com]
Here is a video of Lisa Marie Presley performing “Over Me” at Graceland: