Halloween 365?

Back when I was a kid, when mammoths and saber-toothed tigers roamed the earth, Halloween was a holiday for children. Adults didn't dress up. Hell, they even stayed home during trick or treating because parents didn't have to worry about the safety of their children. Well, times have changed for the better, especially for DJ's. I celebrated Halloween for an entire week this year. Although I don't want to credit the first person who slipped a razor blade inside an apple, sometimes you have to give credit where credit is due.

I suppose I could google the year when Halloween became an adult holiday, but I won't. It doesn't really matter so long as everyone has fun dressing up and going out to drink and listen to music or sing. And who doesn't like slutty nurses and cops?

No matter how we celebrate Halloween these days, it only comes once a year, right? That's true for most of us. However, there are those who walk among us who seem to celebrate Halloween all year. I'm not talking about those denizens of suburban malls who can't seem to get enough of Hot Topic. You know them - the Goth Kids. They're usually just going through a phase. After all, it's not easy growing up in the suburbs. And I bet that even Marilyn Manson doesn't dress up as Marilyn Manson every day. I'm also not talking about hipsters or even people who dress hip-hop every day. That's a cultural fashion choice, really. Rather, I am talking about Elvii, those guys with the hair and the sideburns who worship everything Elvis.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery (I have always maintained that it's vanity), then Elvis Presley is truly the king of Rock and Roll. You might say that Elvii are a dying breed, men dedicated to a dead rock star who are growing older themselves. If you think that, you'd be partially wrong. Check out the annual Elvis festival in Lake George, N.Y. or any other Elvis festival around the world. I did and I was amazed. Elvii come in all shapes and sizes AND ages. Long Live The King!

If you want further proof, then you should come with me to Dee Dee's, a bar in Latham, New York. I go there just about every Sunday night for karaoke. I am not the DJ, although I have filled in on occasion when the regular DJ had a conflict. I just go to hang out, have a few drinks and sing. Sometimes it's fun just to be a customer. It's also a great place to run into Elvii.

Big Mike is the resident Elvis who you are most likely to see. He's got the hair and all the Elvis moves when he sings Elvis. He also brings in his own Elvis tracks on CD.  He doesn't just do karaoke.  He does Elvis. He is also the guy who suggested I go to the Elvis festival.  I even sat next to him on the Saturday night when Shawn Klush, who some consider to be the world's greatest Elvis impersonator, performed. As I watched Klush perform, I kidded Big Mike. "Hey, Big Mike! That guy is stealing all your moves!"

Big Mike is not the only Elvis who comes to Dee Dee's. There's a "Little Elvis" and this other guy who gives me the creeps. I try not to interact with him that much. He's not a very good Elvis anyway. I call him "Creepy Elvis." From what I observed, you wouldn't want to give this guy your address or phone number. There is also semi-Elvis, who has the hair, but I am suspicious of his commitment. He doesn't come too often anyway. By the way, we also have a Fonzie at Dee Dee's!

Before I knew that "Creepy Elvis" was actually creepy, I had a chance to DJ at Dee Dee's one night.  All three of the primary Elvii were present, which is rare. It's not unusual to see two of them, but this night was special. I knew I had to do something as the DJ. So, I made all three get up to sing "Suspicious Minds." It was hysterical, although Big Mike later grumbled to me about "Creepy's" singing. Nevertheless, it was a great karaoke/Elvis moment. The crowd loved it.

The Elvis moment I engineered happened during the summer sometime. Months went by until Halloween came. Like every other bar, Dee Dee's had a Halloween party for the karaoke crowd. The only Elvis that night was "Creepy Elvis." No one likes him, but since he hasn't posed a danger to anyone at the bar, he's tolerated.

I was standing there chatting when "Creepy Elvis" walked in.  I started laughing, making sure that "Creepy" didn't know I was laughing about him. I was suddenly struck by a funny thought. What does a guy who looks like Elvis all year round get dressed up as for Halloween? Elvis? That's not really a costume for these guys. I imagine they can't go as someone else because that would be some kind of betrayal to Elvis. I concluded that the only holiday that these guys can't really celebrate is Halloween! Kind of ironic, if you ask me. I shared my thoughts with some others at the bar and we all had a good chuckle.

I didn't want to ask "Creepy" about Halloween because he is, in a word, creepy. I have no idea what could set this guy off and I didn't want to find out. So it goes, sometimes.

As luck would have it, Big Mike came in the week after Halloween. I figured I could ask him about Halloween because we're buddies and he's not creepy. So, I asked him what he does on Halloween, considering he always looks like Elvis. I asked him if he could even celebrate the holiday. I was a bit concerned that he would be offended at the question because he might think I was ridiculing his life-style choice. He wasn't.  He's a really nice guy and he knows I love him.  He didn't answer the question verbally. He took me over to a corner of the bar to show me a picture. Big Mike in drag as Marilyn Monroe! Happy Halloween!! Sid out!