By Katherine Hatcher | Staff Writer
Walking up to the Waco Convention Center on Saturday, it was evident that Elvis Presley’s spirit was prevalent even outside of the building due to the car with the Tennessee license plate that read “#1 Elvis Fan.”
The Texas Elvis Weekend lasted from Aug. 29-31 and was put on by ETA Festivals, a leading company producing festivals with Elvis impersonators and performers who pay tribute to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll across the U.S.
At the event, various vendors entertained the audiences between shows, including the largest pawn shop with Elvis merchandise in the area, artwork, t-shirts and more memorabilia.
Although some might consider Presley’s music outdated, Elvis Tribute Artist (ETA) Festivals communication liaison Jeff Lewis said he would have to disagree.
Lewis, who has worked in the music industry for many years and worked with Warner Brothers and artists like Dwight Yokermen, said that their festivals have grown in numbers due to his business partner, Cote Deonath, as well as the release of the “Elvis” and “Priscilla” movies in 2022 and 2023.
“Cote took this thing, and we went from having 200-300 people, which is a good festival, to now we’re having 1,200 people,” Lewis said.
Lewis said that in the influx of people attending their festivals, there was a new presence of the younger generation.
“There’s so many college people coming up to us, and they’re dressed with Elvis shirts, and they had no idea who he was,” Lewis said.
Lewis said that the movies revealed Elvis’ influence in the music world and outside of it to the younger generation, helping love for the artist grow even more.
“There’s a reason he died in ‘77, and he’s as big now as he was then, if not bigger,” Lewis said.
Lewis’ partner, Deonath, said he has been a fan of Presley’s music since he was 2 years old, and in 2023 won the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, where the best Elvis Presley tribute artists compete in Memphis every year. He too agreed that the love of Elvis within younger generations extended beyond him after the movies came out.
“The movie had such a vast impact,” Deonath said. “I really don’t think people understood the depth of what Elvis actually did for pop culture, and the music industry.”
Not only did the “Elvis” and “Priscilla” movies influencing a new generation help ETA Festivals flourish, but they also increased the popularity of Presley himself within the media of the younger generation.
According to statistics released in July 2022, Presley’s engagement gained 1.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify, 43 million YouTube channel views and even 63.2 thousand Instagram followers only four months after the film’s release.
As Presley continues to inspire younger listeners, he also continues to inspire younger artists in the music and performance industry, according to Lewis.
“The final 5 in The Ultimate this year were all under thirty; that’s never happened before,” Lewis said, referencing the tribute artist contest his partner, Cole Deonath, once won.
There was a range of ages of performers in the festival this past weekend, including Finley Watkins, a 16-year-old, as the youngest.
“It’s the best feeling in the world: going out there in front of people that love what you do,” Watkins said, “I really love it so much, the music and everything, it’s incredible.”
Watkins has been performing as a tribute artist for Presley since he was 5 years old, but he said that his job changed after the movies came out.
“You definitely saw an influx of young fans,” Watkins said. “It grew this community a lot to keep it going for the next generation of Elvis fans.”
Deonath said that ETA Festivals is already scheduled for another festival in Waco next year. With hopes of involving college students, he said he would love to possibly offer them student discounts. Deonath said that the ability for students to attend their festivals would be a “match made in Heaven.”
Lewis said that he’s looking forward to Presley’s continuous growth, and seeing what his 27-year-old partner Deonath will do with it.
“What’s exciting for me, even though I’m an older guy… to hand the baton off and see it explode is so fulfilling, and to know that this is going to be here long after I’m gone,” Lewis said.
