'Green Elvis' shakes up fair

Donning a bejeweled blue jumpsuit and wig, you would never guess that by day "Green E the Environmental Elvis" is David Pyle - a mild-mannered English instructor at Robert Morris University.

Pyle, 43, has been dressing as Elvis' eco-friendly alter ego for the past 15 years, driven by his love of both performing and the environment.

"Green Elvis" was on hand Saturday at Waubonsee Community College's Renewable Energy Fair in Sugar Grove, choosing to remain in the building and teach others how easy it can be to be green.

"I always used to recycle, even when, years ago, recycling meant driving out to the Dumpster and dropping your stuff off," he said.

Pyle, who lives in Chicago, bikes to work nearly every day no matter the weather. In the eight years he's been working at Robert Morris, he estimates he has taken public transportation to work less than 20 times, saving himself more than $800 a year in the process.

Pyle was only 11 when Presley died, but he still felt drawn to the King and began collecting memorabilia.

"I've always been a big fan of pop culture so that was really the catalyst that inspired me to take interest in dressing up like Elvis. I feel like (dressing like) Elvis is a way to spread my message without sounding too preachy."

Pyle finds Presley's life story to be the perfect example of the dangers of excess.

"To me, (Elvis) almost represents the planet and how we treat the planet," Pyle said. "Elvis became the victim of overconsumption in a way and it served as a metaphor for me - because overconsumption ended up being his downfall."

For his act, Pyle rewrites the lyrics of Presley songs so that even "Blue Suede Shoes" is green all over. Pyle estimates he has redone about 20 of Presley's songs. His repertoire includes "Don't Waste Fuel," a remake of "Don't Be Cruel," and "The Ozone's Dyin,'" to the tune of "Suspicious Minds."

Pyle played two 45-minute sets for the Energy Fair crowd, stopping occasionally between songs to pull children out from the audience to help demonstrate the importance of doing environmentally-friendly things.

"I came here with my kids because I wanted to learn more," Al Gindt of Montgomery said.