Waiting for the Last Chance Elvis Tribute Artist Contest to start Saturday night at the Hard Rock Cafe was similar to waiting for a Tiger basketball game to start. There were a ton of people, many in some sort of Elvis-themed clothing. There was clapping. And every time a clip of the '68 Comeback Special or "Aloha from Hawaii" was played, people went crazy.

I was there to judge the contest, which is the last chance for Elvis tribute artists (ETAs) to secure a bid to the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest at the Orpheum. In the semifinals, each Elvis had three songs to impress the crowd and the judges. The scoring was based on vocal ability, costume and Kingly stage presence.

Most of Saturday night's Elvises chose to impersonate the late 1960s Elvis, to varying degrees of success. The ones that did the best were the contestants that sang songs concurrent to the period of their costumes. Because yes, there were costumes. Elaborate costumes. There were several white jumpsuits, a black velvet suit, leather pants, and one man who completely won my heart with his  slightly pirate-y bedazzled, red puffy-sleeved jumpsuit.

Among Saturday's semi-final contestants, there were a few standouts. It was easy to see why ETA Tony Witt had a small, but very vocal fan club. He was amazing. His singing was excellent and he had a great rapport with the audience (he stopped at least once every song to drape scarves around the necks of the women in the front row). Best of all, he was understated. He used his dance moves sparingly and for emphasis.

It's a true testament to Elvis that so many grown men are willing to grow (or draw on) sideburns, don tight pants and sing his songs and emulate his moves. There's something magical and magnetic about watching Elvis perform, and the ETAs are trying to keep a little piece of that alive.

"You do it because you love Elvis," Witt said as he took the stage. "You have a passion. It's an expression of love for someone who touched your life."

The top four ETAs from Saturday and Sunday nights will compete in the final round of the Last Chance Elvis Tribute Artist Contest tonight at the Hard Rock Cafe at 9 p.m. Cover is $10.