One for the money ... two for the show: Dan Fontaine brings Elvis tribute to BrickBox

Worcester Elvis Presley tribute artist Dan Fontaine hopes to have the BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Arts Center all shook up in the best possible way on Jan. 14 when he puts on his show "Viva Las Elvis: From Sun To Vegas" featuring the Memphis Sun Mafia Band & Brass.

"We're really excited about it," Fontaine said about the show. "It's an authentic tribute to Elvis' live performances."

Fontaine has a singing voice that does sound like Elvis, and the look. He also has respect for his subject. " It comes out of love and admiration," he said of the show.

The nine-member Memphis Sun Mafia Band and Brass that Fontaine will front has a rhythm section, three piece horn section, and two female vocalists.

The event is a birthday bash of sorts, since Presley would be 89 on Jan. 8.

"Viva Las Elvis" at the BrickBox Theater on April 14 is also Fontaine's way of bringing his show to Worcester to celebrate "The King."

Viva Las Vegas!

While Fontaine and many members of the Sun Mafia Band and Brass live in Worcester or the Worcester area, they don't play in Worcester itself very much, Fontaine said, although they do perform in Worcester County and around New England.

"We want to make this a successful show. This is about coming back to Worcester and doing something here," Fontaine said. "We just want to do a great show for the people of Worcester."

Presley (1935-77) recorded his earliest songs in the 1950s at the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. He performed extensively in Las Vegas in the 1970s after a successful come back following a chart lull in the mid 1960s. "Viva Las Vegas" was also the title of one of Presley's more than 30 feature films (and a hit song from the film of the same name).

"The King," as he was often simply known, combined a variety of influences, including country music and blues, to help form what would become known as rock 'n' roll.

"He really did change music forever," Fontaine said.

All shook up

According to Forbes, Presley sold more than a billion records sold worldwide, making him the best-selling solo artist of all time. He died prematurely at the age of 42 from cardiac arrest, widely attributed to prescription drug abuse and obesity, and haunted by failed relationships and the death of his mother. But Presley remains a figure in the spotlight, with an Oscar nominated bio-drama "Elvis" released in 2022, and "Priscilla," based on the life of Elvis' wife Priscilla Presley, coming out late in 2023.

"It's a combination of a few things," Fontaine said of the ongoing Elvis legend. "It's an enigma. A cult of personality in that sense. John Lennon said, 'Before Elvis there was nothing' ... In a lot of ways he was the very first rock star. He was the template. He was the first star who had merchandise. He dressed coolly."

"Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956 was Presley’s first major hit, and only the second single in history to land on all three major Billboard charts, making the top five on the R&B, and reaching Number One on the Country and Pop charts. Hit after hit would follow, including "Don't Be Cruel," "Hound Dog," "Love Me Tender," "All Shook up," "Jail House Rock," and many more. Later, among his "comeback" hits were "In the Ghetto," "Suspicious Minds," and "Kentucky Rain."

Presley combined his hits with a winning personality. "He was known as a generous person." But there's "also a sense of his tragic ending," Fontaine said.

"I think when someone has a happy ending they don't get remembered so much. Because he had a tragic ending this burned into the consciousness of the world."

Now or never

"Viva Las Elvis" runs chronologically through Presley's hits, through the raw rock 'n' roll of the '50s to the dramatic power of the '70s, and runs about two hours with 30 to 40 songs and one costume change — to a jump suit for the Las Vegas years.

"It's a compilation of how the shows were. Remembering the best of those live concerts," Fontaine said.

Fontaine said he's been singing professionally as an Elvis tribute artist for the past three-and-a-half years although he has performed his songs since a good deal further back.

He grew up in Worcester and started singing at Hillcrest Church in North Oxford, a nondenominational church where music is important and his father is a pastor. He said he still sings the church music at its Sunday services.

His dad is also an Elvis fan, and Fontaine grew up listening to his records being played in the house. "I was kind of raised listening to it," he said.

"I've never had a voice lesson in my life. I could always carry a tune," Fontaine said. People would tell him, "Hey, you sound like Elvis," he recalled.

About 10 years ago, Fontaine said he formed a small Elvis cover band called Fellowship of the King. "It was a cover band. It wasn't a tribute," he said.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, "I kind of had a change of mindset. I wanted to do an authentic recreation of an Elvis live performance."

If I can dream

Fontaine put together the tribute show "Viva Las Elvis" featuring the Memphis Sun Mafia Band & Brass who try to recreate the Elvis hits "note for note," he said. He performs with the band for about 30 shows a year in the New England area.

The band consists of Henry James, bassist, from Millbury; James Thomas, drummer, Leominster; Vlad Odessa, pianist/keyboards, originally from Odessa, Ukraine; John Scotti, lead guitar, Lexington; Chris Ryan, trombonist, Worcester; Tom Santolucito, tenor and baritone sax and flute, Waltham; Paul Tomashefsky, trumpet, Boston; Kyleigh Arenas, vocalist, Cumberland, R.I,; and Emily Sandberg, vocalist, Clinton.

Several members were students and graduates of the Berklee College of Music in Boston and all have tremendous musical credentials.

Thomas currently owns and runs the day to day operations at The Drum Academy in Leominster. He has performed with legendary groups The Temptations and The Supremes and is described as "the engine that drives the Memphis Sun Mafia." James has been playing in various popular bands throughout the local music scene in New England since 1978 and presents the series “Bass-Hacks” on his YouTube channel.

Odessa received his formal music training in Ukraine. Since moving to the United States in 2004, he has worked with many bands and projects including, “A Night of Zeppelin.”

Scotti has extensive experience as a guitarist in both tribute and original bands an is also a recording engineer and producer and an educator at Berklee College of Music. Ryan has played with classical wind groups, jazz combos, big bands, and marching bands, but says his "true passion" is rock, funk and soul. Santolucito has over 30 years of experience as a working saxophonist, performing with numerous local funk, R&B, blues, rock, jazz, function and other bands.

Tomashefsky was the director of the Bentley College Jazz Ensemble and on the music faculty of the Westborough Public Schools. He is currently active as a free-lance performer. Arenas is a versatile soprano vocalist and vocal coach and attended the School of Rock. Sandberg has sung in choir ensembles, as well as writing and recording her own music. She is a student at Fitchburg State University, majoring in business marketing and minoring in music performance.

They are all "incredible musicians," Fontaine said.

Don't be cruel

Fontaine also travels nationally and internationally to perform solo as an Elvis tribute artist, including in many competitions where he has won or placed in the top five. In 2023 he won second place in the Louisiana Bayou King Festival 2023 where he also won the "Blind Radio" Vocal Round (out of sight of the judges.). He was also a top five finalist in 2022 and 2023 at the Empire State Tribute Festival and the Georgia Tribute Festival.

Meanwhile, his "day job" these days is solo and private performances as Elvis. He performs at venues such as retirement homes and also private parties.

So with those performances, plus the "Viva Las Elvis" shows and the solo traveling to competitions (where Fontaine noted there's "some good prize money") he said he's "definitely trying" to make a living as an Elvis performance artist.

Fontaine is not alone. "There's an Elvis tribute artist industry I wasn't aware of," he said.

Steve Connolly is an Elvis artist and actual artist who lived in Worcester before moving to Las Vegas where he has successfully staged his own Elvis shows.

Fontaine's singing and the band's accompaniment evokes an Elvis show rendition, as can be appreciated by watching YouTubes of the performances. "Elvis was probably the greatest vocalist who ever lived. It's very hard to come close, but I do my best and the band does their best," he said.

"I can tap into his tone. You've got to be careful. There are plenty of bad impersonators. Some people throw on a suit and it becomes a parody. We don't want to do that."

Audiences at "Viva Las Elvis" shows tend to be older, but the movie "Elvis" has brought in more younger people, Fontaine said. On the other hand, "Sometimes we get very elderly who saw Elvis shows. They say we're the closest since he died."

Asked whether he would consider going to Las Vegas, Fontaine said, "Performing in Vegas, yes. Living in Vegas, no. I consider myself a New Englander. And all my family is here."

Other upcoming "Viva Las Vegas" shows in the local area include Chans Restaurant, Woonsocket, R.I., Feb. 3; Point Breeze, Webster, March 30; and Halligan's, Auburn, May 18.

Regarding the Jan. 14 show at the BrickBox Theater, "We'd love to sell it out," Fontaine said.

Dan Fontaine — Viva Las Elvis: From Sun To Vegas featuring the Memphis Sun Mafia Band & Brass

When: 7 p.m. Jan. 14

Where: BrickBox Theater, Jean McDonough Arts Center, 20 Franklin St., Worcester

How much: $38.75 to $43.75. jmacworcester.org

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Tribute artist Dan Fontaine brings Elvis show to BrickBox Theater