The Signal June 2001

At first I thought, "Oh no, not another Elvis Impersonator." And then the show began. Energetic, inspiring, nostalgic and thoroughly entertaining: these words best describe the Elvis Gold show last Thursday at the Edgewater Inn.

The gentleman performing some of the best of Elvis was Wally Tiemer, but one had to do a double, or even triple-take to avoid slipping into a dream-like state and actually believing the gyrating, arm-spinning, high-kicking, leather-clad figure on the stage was not actually "The King."

He did it Elvis's way, and probably better than anyone. But Tiemer was the first to stress his performance is simply "as close to an Elvis performance as possible." Thirty years of Elvis. That's what Tiemer condensed into his two-hour show. From the rock-a-billy 50s to his later days in Vegas, Tiemer captivated the Edgewater crowd with a variety of Elvis songs fondly remembered and still celebrated today. "Love me tender, love me true," Tiemer crooned at one point in the show, but it was an unnecessary request as the applause of those in attendance exemplified the audience's appreciation.

Among those in the crowd were Tiemer's mother, Lesley and 97-year-old grandmother Shirley. Lesley said the Edgewater performance was a special appearance for her son, one which he added to his tour mainly for the benefit of his grandmother. "That's the main reason he did the show here - for her to see him," Lesley explained.

The Elvis Gold show was an evening enjoyed by all who attended. It had a wide, audience appeal, in fact, even the Reverend Porter of St. Margaret's Anglican Church was on hand bopping and singing along to the Elvis tunes. The Edgewater Inn will have a hard time topping that evening's ... high-quality entertainment.

- Ross McDermott, The Signal Newspaper