Jeff Bergen didn’t set out to be an Elvis impersonator. As he toured the U.S. and Canada fronting a classic rock cover band, he found that the King drew louder applause than the Beatles or Stones.
“I resisted because I didn’t want it to become an Elvis show,” Bergen says.
Eventually, he leaned in and, by 2000, Bergen was a full-on Elvis imitator — rhinestone sunglasses and all.
“From a singer’s standpoint, Elvis is really a lot of fun to do. He covered every genre of music, so it’s never boring,” he says.
Since 2008, Bergen has held a monthly Elvis tribute at Knuckleheads. Once a year, around the King’s January birthday, Bergen goes all-out, bringing in other Elvises from the region. This year, Bobby Simkins, Danny Johnson and Matthew Sharp will join Bergen on the main stage.
GO: Elvis Bash, Saturday, January 18, 8 pm. $15. Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester Ave., KCMO.
