On February 27, 1970, Elvis Presley kicked of a three day run of two shows a day, performing at the Houston Rodeo in the 8th Wonder of the World, the Astrodome. Though he’d cut his teeth playing smaller venues across the Lone Star State early in his career, Elvis admitted the sheer size of the Houston Livestock Show rodeo crowds had him nervous – expecting up to 45,000 fans per show, nearly double his previous record of 25,000 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. “I kind of started out in Texas,” the legendary performer reflected, reminiscing about his early shows in Houston, Corpus Christi, and Longview. Fresh from his Las Vegas comeback, Elvis promised to blend his classic hits with new material, in a performance drawn from his Vegas residency.
Planned by Col. Tom Parker, the Presley shows were a hit, smashing Rodeo attendance records. Over 200,000 people attended the six shows. Presley was purported to have netted over $1 million for the three days of performances. The Astrodome appearances were a calculated return to concert performances by Presley. His Vega residency was an attraction to those who sought our Presley. The rodeo performance, though, was his first time in front of a general audience in a number of years. The audience was younger, mostly under age 35, and they were captivated by Presley, swarming the aisles and pressing forward when he left the stage.
The confidence and success of the Houston shows kicked of a late 1970 national tour that returned Elvis front and center to the US concert scene.
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