Chapter 2, part I I'm about to get an education in Elvis

I've fallen behind on my Elvis blog, so I need to get y'all up to speed. I have around 25 Elvis songs to learn, only three of which I've played before. I can improvise pretty well, but my problem is that I don't know how most of these songs go. That doesn't intimidate me much. When Dad and I played the Fulton County Fair, I learned more songs than that on fairly short notice. But, I had at least heard most of those songs, and could hum them, if you asked me to. I'd probably ask you why you were asking me to hum songs for you, but it could be done. :) These songs are different. A month ago I could have counted, on one hand mind you, the number of Elvis songs I could name. But all that has changed, my friend.
Around the end of January, Dad, Jason(our keyboardist) and I all drove to Galesburg for our first practice. Dad and Jason have been in a band together for a long time (I want to say five years or more....?), so they know each other, musically, pretty well. It's pretty easy for me to play bass along with Dad's guitar playing, so that's not a problem, either. But none of us really knew Tim, the drummer. Tim had been in Al's last Elvis tribute band for years and years. So he knew the material, and I'm just learning it. I may have been a bit nervous.
We get to Galesburg and from the moment I saw Legends, I was impressed. I walk in the back door and there is this huge, aluminum ramp going up to the stage. Al and Tim were standing on the ramp, however, so I couldn't really see the stage just yet. They all say 'Hello', and Tim asks, "Which one of these guys is the bass player?"
I stepped forward, told him I was as I shook his hand. He said, "Good, you'll set up right next to me. I'm going to be playing off of you."
I'm thinking to myself, "Oh Crap! I don't really know these songs. I was just going to try to follow along with Dad and not mess up too bad!!This guy knows how the songs all go and he's going to be listening to my every note!"
Then, we walk up the ramp onto the stage and my jaw about hit floor. I've played on risers that were a foot off the ground, but this is a Professional Job. Rockin' sound system, Professional lighting, all on a theater type stage. Big dance floor, tables and chairs, huge bar, a 50's diner style seating area complete with pool table and vintage advertisment tins on the walls. Every where was memoribilia. Mostly Elvis, some James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles. I was Tres Empressed! I'm also a little nervous. I'm thinking that we will play, they will smile and shake my hand, then call me the next day and say "Sorry Isaac, it isn't going to work out." Could picture Al and Tim after we left and Tim saying to Al, "That kid can't play these songs. I can't follow him. We need to get someone who knows this stuff." I remember thinking to myself "I'm about to play myself right out of a job"
But after we warmed up with a few songs, Tim turns to me and says, "I like your playing." That was all it took. I have so much more to say, but my fingers hurt and you need to get up and get away from your computer for a while. :)