Celebrate the King at Royal Lake Park on Friday Night

Jed Duvall and the Tennessee Quartette will return to Royal Lake Park in Fairfax tomorrow night, Friday, Jun. 17 for an evening of the King's greatest hits. The local tribute artist's performance is part of . Duvall first performed as Elvis at the age of 18. He began performing as Johnny Cash in 2007 and Paul McCartney in 2010.

Learn more about Friday's performance in this Q&A with Duvall.

You will be performing as Elvis on Friday night. What made you choose the King over Johnny Cash or Paul McCartney for this particular performance?

I performed as Johnny Cash at Braddock Nights last year. So we thought Elvis would be a good choice for Friday’s performance. As popular as my other personas are, Elvis is still the most popular. It seems like the Elvis fan base just keeps growing.

What songs can local concertgoers expect to hear during your performance? Do you have a method for what songs you choose from the King of Rock and Roll's repertoire?

As much as I love the diehard Elvis fans, one of my missions in life is to give the average concertgoer who may not be a big Elvis fan some idea as to what Elvis the Performer was all about. To that end, I try to include a lot of the familiar tunes that everybody knows including “Love Me Tender,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog” and “Suspicious Minds.” Then I’ll throw in a couple of not so familiar songs throughout the night to give an idea of Elvis’ range.

I perform as Elvis in all the phases of his career (the 50s, 60s and 70s) so a lot of the songs are dependent upon what era I’m portraying. If I’m doing the 50s, for example, I’m in that 50s mindset, so doing a song like “Burning Love,” which was release in 1972, just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Of course, whoever is hiring me and the band (the fabulous Tennessee Quartette) has the last say as far as a set list!

How have your recreations of two other music icons affected your career as a performer?

It’s a double-edged sword. Sometimes it’s such a thrill - and a blessing - to effectively (in my mind, anyway) perform as three of the most popular performers of all time, which in their own right, are extremely different and complex. But sometimes it’s hard to keep track and sometimes I feel that if I only had one performer to work on, I could focus on that one and make it better. I really don’t want to be a “jack of all tributes, and master of none.” I told someone once that I’d throw the three against a wall and see which one sticks. So far, they’ve all “stuck,” so I’m just going to keep doing the best that I can do. You never stop learning, you never stop improving.

What is your favorite part of being a tribute artist?

Without a doubt: the audience. I love the shock on their face when I step on the stage and I look somewhat like the artist I’m portraying. I love the double shock when they realize that I also sound a lot like that artist.  And once the shock wears off, I love spending the time with them and involving them in the performance as much as I can, whether it’s coming out to an audience member to personally sing, joking with them, etc. But it’s important for me to include everyone. These people have come to see me perform. I can think of no greater compliment I could receive. And to leave anyone out would be unthinkable.

Outdoor lawn concert; cancelled by 3:30 p.m. day of the show if inclement weather. Click here for more information on Duvall.

Friday, Jun. 17, 7:30 p.m.; Free
5344 Gainsborough Dr. Fairfax, VA; (703) 324-SHOW