Ahead of Elvis Presley's birthday on Monday (Jan. 8), Luke Bryan paid tribute to the King in Las Vegas. Bryan performed "The Wonder of You," a Vegas-era Presley staple, on Saturday (Jan. 6) for the final date of a two-year, 48-show residency at The Theatre at Resorts World.
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"You know, when I was a little kid, I'd sing that song, and it was from the Vegas Hilton," Bryan told the audience. "I never thought I'd be able to do this in Las Vegas."
Bryan hammed it up slightly, as he's known to do. Yet for for the most part, it was a sincere tribute to Presley's booming voice and arresting stage presence.
Commenter's takes were mostly positive, with one poster writing the highest of complements: "I think Elvis would have loved it." A few laughed, though, with one writing that Bryan's "definitely not Elvis."
That same night, Bryan told his own jokes about exhaustion from his ambitious, multi-year residency.
"Somehow, somehow I have survived Las Vegas," he told the crowd on Saturday. "I have not died yet, but if you add up all the mornings that I wanted to die it equals three total deaths. Tomorrow morning, Shady Grove Rehab for me. I'm gonna wear pajamas for 45 days."
"The Wonder of You" wasn't the first cover to make it onto Bryan's Vegas setlist. Per People, he'd previously added his own spin to songs by George Strait, Ronnie Milsap, Conway Twitty, Rascal Flatts, Madonna, Lionel Richie, Elton John and Brooks & Dunn.
"When you react to other people's music more than mine it hurts my feelings," Bryan joked at one residency date.
As for future plans, Bryan returns to "American Idol" on Sun., Feb. 18 for his seventh consecutive season as a co-judge alongside Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
