Dunn will be familiar to the audiences as well, having brought his tribute act to the Astor Theatre several times before, and is returning to the stage on May 26 at 7 p.m. for another show with his eight piece band the Cadillac Kings.
His interest in Elvis was always there with him, but becoming a tribute artist took a little longer. In his teen years he heard from many people that he resembled Elvis, though it wasn't quite what he had hoped for.
"When you're a teenage kid you don't necessarily want to look like Elvis," he says.
As he got older and played in bands, he started hearing he sounded like Elvis too. What sealed the deal though was a trip to Las Vegas. There were no sideburns and his hair was brown back then, but that didn't stop people from coming up to him and asking where he was playing.
Things grew from there, and now Dunn has been performing as Elvis for the past 13 years. Four years ago it turned into a full time job, boosted in no small way by winning the 2009 International Elvis Tribute Contest.
For Dunn the music never gets boring, which is a big reason why he does the show.
"If I'm having a rough day, I know there are certain songs that will pick me right up," he says.
He says he listens to a variety of music, but always seems to come back to Elvis. As to why Elvis has such staying power, he says there was so much passion behind what he did.
"When he sang, he didn't just sing the words he felt the words," he says.
Dunn says he enjoys everything about performing and touring as Elvis, and loves entertaining people. He compares it to being an actor, slipping into a role for around two hours a night. Unlike other performers, he goes back to being Thane Dunn when the show is over. Though that doesn't mean the work is over.
Authenticity is the key to his shows, and there is a lot of work off the stage that needs to be done to properly pay tribute to the King.
Dunn says Elvis was in good shape for most of his career, and says that is the part of his life he wants to pay tribute to. That means eating right and working out, as well as practicing his vocals daily to keep the right sound.
Though he says Elvis' famous moves came naturally to him to some degree, he has also worked with choreographers to make sure they flow the right way. Dunn says it isn't easy being Elvis, and he constantly works at it to make his shows better. That means though audiences will get a different and better show each time they come out.
One of the things he is most proud of is the attention to detail in his costumes. The same people who created the iconic jumpsuits for Elvis made all the costumes for Dunn's shows. A small but unique feature on one of his costumes is a metal stud, that fell off Elvis' pinwheel jumpsuit during a performance on April 6, 1972.
Dunn got the stud from a prominent Elvis collector, after it was found in a storage locker opened on the TV series Storage Wars. He contacted the collector to buy the stud, and incorporated it into a replica of the same suit it came from. The suit will be one of many Dunn will wear on stage during his performance.
The stud creates some fervor among fans as well. After the show he says people often come up just to see and touch the stud.
Being accessible after the show is also another important aspect Dunn does as part of his shows.
"I really appreciate the people who come out to my shows. I don't just sing and go. I meet with the people in the audience, shake hands and sign things for them," he says.
For the Astor show he has something special in mind as well. Once the show is over there will be a draw from the ticket stubs, and one lucky winner will get his guitar he used that evening.
Dunn says this will be his sixth time at the Astor Theatre, and it has sold out every time. This is a gesture of thanks to those who have come out to the shows. Though they can get a little rowdy.
"The people down there go crazy," he says with a chuckle. While he gets a great reception wherever he goes he says, the Astor crowd really treats him like Elvis.
More information on Dunn can be found at www.thanedunn.net
