Malt Shop Memories Cruise, Elvis Tribute

To celebrate the music of the 50s and 60s—the Malt Shop Era—and the King of Rock ‘n Roll, one of the most highly competitive groups of Elvis Tribute Artists is aboard the Malt Shop Memories cruise. Some were invited to participate to compete in the richest Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in the World, with a $5,000 grand prize, but the contest is open to any passenger on board who wishes to enter.

To get into the mood, we’ve enjoyed Gino Monopoli’s show in the Jungle Room (pictured here). Dwight Icenhower, winner of the 2011 Malt Shop Memories Elvis Tribute Artist Contest has also taken the stage. So far, we’ve also seen a number of Elvis artists mingling on board. Yes, they are easy to spot and they are generous with their time, posing for photos and chatting. Just like the real King would be if he were on board.

The contest has started and is taking place all week long, with panel of judges making eliminations after each round. Each night’s competition features a theme, so the Tribute Artists must be well-rounded musically and creative in their presentation. Vocal quality and likeness are highly scored.

On the final night of the cruise, the King of Elvis Tribute Artists will be chosen right here aboard Eurodam. As Elvis himself would say, “thank you…thank you very much.”

Here’s how the contest works:

The contest is for the “Best in Show” Elvis Tribute Artist. All phases of Elvis Tribute themes will compete together with the finalists being deemed the very best in their respective categories. The finalists may all come from one category or they may reflect several categories. The winner will be the person who is the very best in show regardless of category.

Elvis Tribute Artists are all judged using the same scoring sheet. Each of the judging criteria is scored on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest score. Vocals count for 40% of the score. Appearance, stage presence, and overall performance each count as 20%.

The judging criteria are as follows:

• Vocals - Overall singing ability
• Appearance - Ability to create a look and style that well represents Elvis
• Stage Presence - Ability to re-create the charisma Elvis created when performing on stage
• Overall Performance - Quality of the overall performance as a whole

There are three rounds of competition. Round 1 features each contestant performing two songs. Those who are selected for the semi-finals will also be required to perform another two songs for the semi final round. For the finals each remaining contestant will perform three songs. No contestant may repeat a song during the competition. It is within the judge’s purview to determine the number of contestants who qualify for the semi-finals and the finals.

The contest will provide the audio equipment and will present the music, but the actual music to be played must be provided by the contestant.

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