Had Elvis Presley lived, he would've been 68 on Wednesday. Instead, he's missing one heck of a birthday bash.
Twenty rock bands from across the country will converge on Franklin Street this weekend for Elvisfest, the sixth annual musical celebration in honor of the King's birthday.
The acts will alternate between Local 506 and the neighboring North Carolina Sports Bar.
The event will be held from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. today and Saturday. Admission is $10 a night.
Performers include local artists Dexter Romweber and The Straight 8s, as well as The Octane Saints from Richmond, Va.; Flathead Mike and the Mercurys from Atlanta; and Billy Joe Winghead from Oklahoma City. Musical styles will range from punk to rockabilly to honky-tonk.
"There's going to be something for everyone musically," said David Quick, a UNC student and promoter for the event.
Each band or singer is required to play at least two Elvis songs. But the tunes that will appear on each performer's set list are still a mystery, Quick said. "Half the fun is seeing what they come up with."
Local 506 manager John Dzubak said hearing different styles of rock during the event is a fitting tribute to Presley.
"You'll see it in all the different types of bands how he's influenced their music," he said.