All Shook Up: Tin Roof to host a night in honor of the King, complete with bananas, peanut butter, and a Pelvis-Off

By Kristin Hackler, West Of 

After Elvis Presley’s second appearance on the Milton Berle show in 1956, critics tore him apart for the “suggestive and vulgar” way in which he danced, particularly the slow, grinding rotations of his pelvis. New York Times writer Jack Gould even wrote that “Mr. Presley has no discernible singing ability…His one specialty is an accented movement of the body…primarily identified with the repertoire of the blonde bombshells of the burlesque runway.”

It was a signature dance that earned him the nickname Elvis the Pelvis and today, the Tin Roof is honoring the King of Rock and Roll and his historic hips on the 36th anniversary of his death with the unprecedented, all-pelvis show, “All Shook Up: An Elvis Presley Tribute Showdown.”

The complete Elvis songbook will be broken out for this star-studded performance, which will include several members of Charleston’s musical royalty including members of the Royal Tinfoil, Mechanical River, Elim Bolt and the Flat Foot Floozies as well as Lindsay Holler, Laura Jane Vincent Cheyne Dowds, Lily Slay, Mackie Boles , Joel Hamilton, Johnnie Matthews, Jordan Igoe, Tim Edgar, Kevin Hanley, T. Ballard Lesemann, Danny Infinger, Jessa Vaughan, Justin Allen, Matthew Walker and more.

This show isn’t just about the songs, however. All Shook Up is a completely interactive Elvis event. Along with live performances of Elvis classics MC’ed by the Big Heavy, Mark Hudgins, attendees are encouraged to wear their Kingly garb, which can include anything from Hawaiian shirts to sparkly bell bottoms and jackets with the obligatory gold rimmed shades.

Got the outfit but your hair’s a little short? Not to worry. The Ladies from Lava Salon will be on hand to turn any do into an official Elvis pompadour. Once your hair’s in place, have your photo taken with the King himself at the photo op booth and grab a banana and peanut butter-inspired drink before enjoying a showing of the classic 1964 film, Viva Las Vegas at 7 p.m.

Last but not least, all Elvis fans are welcome to participate in a full-on Pelvis-Off to the classic song, “Hound Dog.” The winner will be honored by all and will go home with a special Mystery Prize.

Not only will All Shook Up be a night to remember, it will also help benefit Healing Species, an organization that uses rescued dogs to teach children about empathy and compassion in order to prevent violence and bullying and build character. For more information, visit www.healingspecies.org.

Are you all shook up and ready to get your Elvis Pelvis in action? Visit the event’s Facebook page under “All Shook Up: An Elvis Tribute Showdown,” or check out the preparations and updates on new events and features athttp://allshookupchs.blogspot.com/.