In May 1973 it was announced, that Elvis would perform at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta on June 29th and 30th. Both concerts sold out in record time and so a matinee on June 30th was added. Due to the huge demand for tickets, the tour plans were changed and another concert on June 21st was squeezed in. Still there were enough pre-orders left to fill the coliseum once more. So the tour was extended and the Omni was booked for July 3rd as well. In total Elvis was seen by 86,000 people and earned 850,000 USD.

The evening show on June 30th was released in 2012 by a label named Touchdown. The cd is accompanied by a booklet of 16 pages, which includes an article about the concert, general information about the tour and several photos. The recording was made by a member of the audience, but sounds quite good considering the source and the huge venue. The intro "Also Sprach Zarathustra" is missing, but because each and every show from 1971 onwards starts with this classical piece, one can easily live with the loss.

The recording starts with the "Opening Riff". Elvis has entered the stage and received his black guitar from Charlie. "See See Rider" is presented with zest, it's a good thing to start the show with.

Elvis sings the word "well" in different pitches, which are echoed by James Burton's guitar. The king sings "I Got A Woman" since the 1950s, but he obviously never gets tired of the old Ray Charles tune. Just like in the movie "Elvis On Tour" he adds a few bars of "Amen" and offers JD Sumner an opportunity to show off his deep voice. After a short reprise of "I Got A Woman" the king throws his guitar back to Charlie and welcomes the audience.

From the previous year's album "Elvis Now" the singer presents the country ballad "Help Me Make It Through The Night". The song is played faster on stage, which is an improvement. It's a fine performance for sure.

Now the king takes his fans back to the good ole' days. During "Love Me Tender" Elvis hands out several scarfs and even kisses a few lucky females. The audience loves it!

With the "Steamroller Blues" Elvis returns to the present. In February the song was released on the soundtrack album "Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite", in March it was also featured on a single. Finally the tv special was aired on NBC in April. Today's rendition is more powerful, his heart seems to be more in it.

The king stays with the new songs of the tv special. The dramatic ballad gives Elvis an opportunity to display his great voice.

Now Elvis announces a medley of hits. He starts with "Love Me", a track from his second album. The fans know, what to expect, because live versions are available on the albums "Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden" (1972) and "Alohs From Hawaii Via Satellite" (1973).

The last mentioned release also features "Blue Suede Shoes". Today's rendition is just as tame, but this time Elvis moves a bit more. Especially his leg-moves look good in his flared trousers.

The king continues with a medley of "Long Tall Sally", "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", "Mama Don't Dance", "Flip Flop And Fly", "Jailhouse Rock" and a reprise of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On". Neither the style of the medley, nor Elvis' performance do the classics any justice. But it's a nice reminder of everyone's youth and therefore it's ok.

Two years ago "I'm Leavin'" / "Heart Of Rome" turned out to be a commercial failture, but Elvis seems to like the a-side of the single a lot. He sings with emotion and masters the quiet parts as well as the powerful ones.

Back in 1967 the gospel album of the same name started the singer's comeback from Hollywood. Today the hymn is arranged in a more bombastic style, but it fits the king well and offers another opportunity to display his great voice. Especially when he belts out the finale, it's nothing but impressive. Much to the delight of the audience, and also his own delight, he repeats the last part of the song.

While the audience is still applauding, Elvis starts to sing a slow version of "Hound Dog". He soon changes the pace and delivers the tune in the well-known rock'n'roll tempo. "Hound Dog" is obviously not one of the king's own favorites. He doesn't invest too much energy and after a minute or so it's all over.

In contrast to "Hound Dog" the king still seems to like "Fever". He cleverly moves his legs to make the ladies scream and seems to have just as much fun as the audience.

With George Harrison's "Something" Elvis returns to the new tunes of the current "Aloha" album. The ballad is performed very well.

The king stays with the new songs of his latest concert-album. While the arrangement of "Something" was quite sparse, Elvis uses everything he has on this one. "What Now My Love" displays the full power of the orchestra and the harmony singers. It also requires a lot from the lead vocalist, who certainly is up to the challenge.

Elvis raises the tempo and also uses the song to present some of his legendary moves. It's not as wild as in "That's The Way It Is" (1970), but still enough to make the ladies scream in delight.

Now it's time to introduce the band. It also gives the king some time to get his breath back.

Elvis announces a song from his recently aired tv special "Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite". Even though he already performed several of them, this is the tune he connects to the television concert. The reason is, that "I'll Remember You" was written by Kui Lee and the "Aloha" show had been a charity event in favor of the cancer fund, which was established in his name. 

The question "You know, what I can't do" leads to "I Can't Stop Loving You". The song is part of "Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden" (1972) as well as "Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite" (1973). Compared to the latest release, today's version is more powerfull and more lively.

This one can be heared on both records, too. Another rendition is available on a single, released by RCA the previous year. All performances are great and so is the one Elvis presents live on stage today. His voice sounds beautiful and strong and his musicians and singers are excellent.

After so much patriotism and solemnness Elvis returns to the 1950s once more and presents his number one hit "A Big Hunk O' Love". In contrast to stuff like "Hound Dog" he sounds really commited and proves, that he's still able to rock - if he wants to.

Now Elvis thanks the fans for coming to see him and also mentions the concert next Tuesday. Then he bows out with "Can't Help Falling In Love". The band segues into the "Closing Riff", to which the king poses, shakes a few hands and gives away his final scarf.