2B - Thursday, February 14, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com . 2B - Thursday. February 14, 2013The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom The King croons on in A2 India's awards Elvis impersonator to perform on Valentine's Day By ANDREW ECKHOUS Daily Arts Writer "I sound 85 percent like (Elvis), but if somebody's been drinking, it's 95 percent." And he's right. When I sat down with 70-year-old David Joseph - the Elvis aficionado in question - in the University Hos- pital's lobby, he gave me a short preview of what to expect from one of his performances. Softly crooning lines from "Memories," his favorite Elvis song, Joseph transformed. His voice quivered as he emulated his icon, encapsulating, well, about 85 percent of what made "The King's" baritone so distinctive. Joseph's velvety tone ain't quite as deep as Presley's, but it was pretty damned impressive none- theless. Joseph has been an Elvis Trib- ute Artist (or ETA, for you pro- fessionals out there) since two decades before most current col- lege students were born. He has played music since he was 13, and has been part of a few bands, but it wasn't until 1972 that he began his rhinestone-encrusted hobby. Joseph had watched local Elvis Tribute Artists for a few years, and decided to give it a go at the Bell Bar in Ypsilanti, one of his favorite hangouts. "It was scary, but it went alright," said Joseph of his first time performing. "It felt good; the audience liked it; the people in the bar liked it. I felt good since I sound a little bit like Elvis, so it went pretty good, you know." A little bit is an understate- ment. But Joseph radiates mod- esty. Contrary to the ostentatious decadence of Presley, Joseph speaks relatively quietly and was dressed simply when we met. Aside from the Graceland hat on his head, you'd never know that Joseph moonlights as an enter- tainer, though he has slowed down recently. Joseph was born as the eighth child in a family with 16, and works part-time as a stock keeper in the very same hospital where we spoke. Joseph has lived his entire life in Washtenaw County, and has been a part of the Univer- sity of Michigan Health System for about 30 years. He always loved' Elvis, and as a kid, he had a hunch that they sounded alike. Eventually, he decided to test out his theory. "With a tape recorder, I would have an Elvis record playing, then I would sing into the tape record- er. Then the tape recorder would Through the years, David Joseph has found peace and relaxation through listening to Elvis's music. pick us both up and we sounded pretty good, as a duo." Elvis has helped Joseph through some daunting times as well. Joseph joined the Navy as a young man, and was stationed in Guantanamo Bay during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. "We thought Castro was going to incinerate us," Joseph recount- ed. "We were scared; we were out there on the base, (and) every- body did their own thing, what- ever comforted them." For Joseph, that was play- ing Elvis songs on his guitar. It helped him relax in the face of a situation with seemingly life or death implications. In his post- service life, Elvis's tunes have played a therapeutic role as well. "It's therapy for me; some people do other stuff for thera- py, but this, it just relaxes me - makes me feel good, and I know people enjoy it because they're singing along with me," Joseph said. "It's just fun." It might be "just fun" for him, but for others, it can be mean- ingful. He performs in nursing homes and Veterans of Foreign Wars halls, and his Valentine's Day performance will be in the lobby of the University Hospital starting at 12 p.m. He especially likes to sing the song "Teddy Bear" at his performances, because it gives him a chance to do something kind for his audi- ence. "Elvis had a song called 'Teddy Bear,' and after he recorded that - his first birthday after he recorded that - he got thousands of teddy bears in the mail. So now whenI singthat, my granddaugh- ters hand out teddy bears to the audience, to the kids. That's why I went to all the different depart- ments and told the nurses that the kids can come down (for this show)." Karma has reimbursed Joseph for his charity work. He's made a pretty decent second income for his performances and he even won a Minor League Baseball contest that flew him out to Las Vegas for an Elvis-themed festi- val. Joseph has an unparalleled knowledge of all-things Presley, leaving little wonder as to why he's been so successful at imper- sonating The King. While the official numbers vary, Joseph claims that there are about 748 Elvis singles, and that he knows "about 600 of them." Joseph never stops improving his tech- nique though, even after over half a century of playing Elvis songs. "Each time you learn more, and by watching other people, you can learn a little bit more, too." As much as Joseph reveres Presley's music, though, he wants no part of Elvis's drug- filled life. "I think that before he got into all the drugs and stuff, he was great," Joseph emphasized. "If you looked at him in 1969, he was in tip-top shape, but at his last concert his face was all bloated. He couldn't pronounce his words because he was so drugged up." Our conversation became seri- ous as Joseph addressed the all- too-familiar lifestyle of Presley and his other musical heroes. His easygoing mannerisms hardened a bit, and his speech became more deliberate. "It makes me mad that he did that. It makes me mad that Jimi Hendrix did that. Michael Jack- son, too," said Joseph. "I've had a chance to go on the road, but I didn't want to. I never wanted to; I didn't want that kind of life. I never wanted to do it because I've seen what happened to them." Joseph prefers to think about the good Elvis - the admira- ble Elvis that treated everyone equally in a time of suffocating segregation; the goofy Elvis that, upon trying his first-ever fried peanut butter and banana sand- wich, bought the maid who fried it a brand-new Cadillac. And the charitable Elvis who raised $75,000 for cancer research at his "Aloha from Hawaii" concert following the death of a friend. Joseph has profited both eco- nomically and in life experience from his three decades as an Elvis impersonator. He's made a lot of friends, sang almost as many Elvis songs as Elvis him- self and has even wooed a few Elvis fans of the fairer sex. "You ain't kidding," Joseph laughed. "When you're in a bar or something, some lady's gonna try it just like you're gonna try it if you're in a band." When Joseph performs at the University Hospital, he'll be singing Elvis's romance songs to celebrate Valentine's Day, and his own romance is goingastrong. He's happily married to a woman who loves his unique pastime, telling me that "she gets mad if I don't do it every once in a while." She even participates in the glitz and glamour of it all, as she hand- makes all of his costumes. The stereotypes about celeb- rity impersonators generally revolve around desperate artists vying for money and hungry for attention, but those tropes sim- ply don't apply to Joseph. He doesn't crave the spotlight; he just enjoys making others feel better. While Elvis might have left the building, David Joseph still hangs around, and maybe, if you have just a few drinks too many, you might be lucky enough to confuse the two. A remin and lo Inevit find m compa traditi Holly' award cerem (the G Globe: Award Oscar Bolly ones ( Filmf and ad counti indus lot fro For ple ma wood, deal b reduc or two tion (o I'm sti period night introd ers an scripte Somet show- Poehle Globes dullen furnitr Sorry Tha wood: hosts l Khan hosted times: hosted with m Khans ridicu catego made- work film sc broma ki h tha Tha hostin taxing hosts; for the perfor keep t entert distrib award Gerva less fla Emmy they g a refre Thoug establ thiest sion, t with p rest of In B of gue award awhil Ashut: to-eve Nitin; that th for the sporti joked nated audien emony a gath exorbi which Tha lywoo some r bear t They i descri namin then c point, nothin award up ope annou: other: lookin out th awrsseason s awards season winds presenters change for every down in Bollywood and award and the format becomes LHollywood alike, we're immeasurably trying. ded of everything we love But if there is one thing at athe about media awards. which Bollywood awards excel, ably, I it's the factor of pure entertain- yself ment. Above all, awards shows ring celebrate the year's best in ional entertainment; watchingthe wood ceremony shouldn't feel like is a chore. For one thing, none onies of the Indian awards func- olden tions are encumbered by time s, SAG PROMA restrictions. Speeches have is, KHOSLA no set limit and neither do the s) to _ _ telecasts. This could lead to a wood parade of pseudo-stars pontifi- Stardust, Zee Cine, eating for hours, but instead are). They're as flawed establishes a healthy balance Idictive as their Western between the short, sweet erparts, and as usual, both speeches and those more prone tries could stand to learn a to verbosity. m each other. Another aspect that adds starters, there's the sim- both to entertainment and ttter of hosting. In Holly- length is the item numbers. In hosting is a much bigger an industry that celebrates ran- ut also a significantly dom song and dance, what more ed responsibility. The one could you expect as awards hosts of an awards func- show filler while the hosts r five, like those Emmys change outfits and practice, ll tryingto forget) appear their next jokes? Every Bolly- lically throughout the wood awards function includes in different outfits to several performances by the uce awards or present- year's biggest stars to hit songs d make some carefully from their latest movies. If rd comments and jokes. anything, the monotony comes imes the hosts steal the from having the same stars - like Tina Fey and Amy invited toperform at every r at this year's Golden function, but the performances - and sometimes they're themselves highlight the most tough to blend into the recognizable characteristics ure (sorry, James Franco). and flare of the industry. I'm not sorry. But the most annoying t much is true in Bolly- part of the dances for me by as well, where successful far is the fact that they - and ike the pair of Shahrukh the entire ceremony - are so and Saif Ali Khan have highly edited. Everything is the Filmfares as many pre-taped, so post-production as Ricky Gervais has adds boisterous crowd noise the Golden Globes, and at unpredictable intervals. such better results. The Camera angles change every improved every year with few seconds from extreme lous gags between award close-ups to jaunty shots that tries, including their own just make everything harder to up awards for the worst see. Show editors don't seem to of the year and invented understand that there's a time enes about their beautiful and place for music video imita- nce, tion, and that this isn't it. Duringthe functions, the excessive editing is less notice- Bolywood able, but just as irksome. Jokes 0 yWand comments are met with a mows how to predictable laugh track, which falls especially flat when reac- ave more fun tion shots don't show the audi- ence laughing. And speaking n Hollywood of reaction shots - those are recorded separately and then randomly placed wherever the showrunners deem appropri- t's where Bollywood ate. So that clip of Priyanka g becomes so much more Chopra laughing raucously at than Hollywood. The Imran Khan's last joke PROBA- aren't just announcers BLY DIDN'T HAPPEN. Worse ceremony; they are yet, it's not uncommon to see mers, and their job is to the same reaction shot repeated he audience engaged and multiple times during a show. ained enough to justify Even on the most basic level, tuting a sound editing like dress code, Bollywood on national television. awards shows are inconsistent. is has received end- On one end of the spectrum tk for his routines at the there's Rekha and Vidya Balan, s and Globes, but before who will show up in elaborate, ot tedious, they were elegant saris without fail. Then shing change of pace. there's the generation of aspir- ;h these evenings were ing young actresses, the new- ished to honor the wor- age "modern" women whose works of film and televi- dresses wouldn't be out of place here's nothing wrong at a Greek life date party. oking a little fun at the And the men - good god, the the room. men! Generally it doesn't matter lollywood, making fun whether they wear a traditional sts is all but a staple of Indian kurtha or a classy black s shows. Every once in suit, but neither matters when e, a stoic director like there's always some idiot wear- osh Gowariker or lucky- ing jeans and chewing gum as n-be-here rando like Neil he accepts his award with nega- Mukesh will tell the hosts tive modesty. Clothes might not tey're going too far, but seem important, but they are most part everyone is a striking visual cue to how an ng enough to stand being audience should view the event about when they're nomi- and how guests in attendance as best of the year. For should comport themselves. tces, it grounds the cer- Bollywood tabloids don't even , making it feel more like have the joy of a proper best ering of friends than an and worst dressed list because tant party in a world to it would be unfair to include the we don't have access. outliers. t being said, the Bol- What it comes down to is d hosting model needs this: Bollywood could stand to efining. The emcees still learn from the professionalism he brunt of the work. and authenticity of Hollywood r ntroduce awards by awards shows. Hollywood, in bing the category and turn, could stand to loosen up, .g all the nominees, and take a joke and indulge in more all on presenters. At that nights of pure entertainment. the two presenters have After all, they say it's an honor tg to do but give out the just to be nominated - might ,so one of them ends as well make the party worth- 'ning the envelope and while. 0 State Theater IM i d nNatalie:What made you choose "Eternal Sunshine"for a midnightrmovie? Brian: It felt kind of perfect to have this very romantic but very un-romantic movie, right after Valentine's Day. It's also a film that we have gotten a lot of people askingus to show, so itcosmic ally worked out for us. P review Natalie: I don't know movies from this time as well as some, but itseems torme like this movie kind of led into the genre of memory warped, twisted but realistic films, the "Inception" type of stuff. Daily Arts Writer Brian:Icould agree with that. I think that that movie came out at a time when young Hollywood -,which I think Natalie Gadbois is a stupid term - was really into self-reflection, and you seethese young directors working with talent and taking talks with Facility chances on movies.I'mnot going to sit here and say that "Eternal Sunshine"is the great love story of our generation, there are other movies that havecomeout that have made really honest, really to-the-point looks at the way being and Programming youngandbeinginloveislike.Ifyoucouldactuallygobackanderaseyourmind, everyonewoulddoit. Intermsof Manager Brian Hunter the zeitgeist of what was going on at the moment, it seems like that movie was in theright place at theright timefor that audience.Youhad Generation X-ers and Millennials that werecominginto their own, and thiswas the film for of Ann Arbor's State them,representingemotionally what was going on in their lives.You can watch a classic romance movie and it will Theater about the stillmeansomethingSoyearslater,but it will probablymeanmore inits time. upcoming screening of Natalie: I agree with that, and it's very unique and different from all the other love stories, but it still has that "Eternal Sunshine of groundingin boy-meets-girl-and-falls-in-love sort ofmentality. the Spotless Mind." Brian:And Ithink that there is something to besaid about the way "Eternal Sunshine"is filmed. Thereis a certain magic to it, a certain sleight of hand, in terms of the actual scenes in the movie. And it lends itself~to how themovie is viewed. There is this scene where Jim Carrey is a little kid, but he actually is a mini-sized Jim Carreyand there is something about the magic of that, that contrasts with what you said, about the magic about being in loveagain. There is a lot of crossover between that traditional romance, and theexecution of the film. That scene is so visceral about the way your brain remembers being a little kid, and the way parents talk and they felt around you. I think that's probably my favorite scene. Although I do like thestuff ofthem on the beach, allthe tender, surreal moments. Natalie: And that senseof trying to figureout is this in the past, or recreating the memory he had, or is it allin his mind. Brian Exactly. That movie came out around the same time as "Memento," so it reflects more on that theme of struggling with your past and your future at the same time. Natalie:It's one of my all-time favorite movies. Brian: I love it. I do thinklit probablynmeans a lotto somebody my age who saw it whennthey were 20 or 21, than to people who are now in theirfifties. It resonated so much with that audience. I mean everyone thinks "Oh, it sucks to break up with your boyfriend/girlfriend," but your brain goesthrough a process, and I think this filmcaptured that process. 0 ncing the name while the simply stands on stage g awkward and handing e statue. Add the fact that Khosla is winning literally all the awards. To join, e-mail pkhosla@umich.edu.