Regardless of the fact that he went out bloated and in the loo, Elvis Presley went out better than most. That is to say he went out young. Most of the great ones do, simply because it's just so hard to age gracefully (just ask Britney). And so, 30 years after his demise we still celebrate a man who had a penchant for sequined jumpsuits, sideburns that should have been registered with the AKC and a peculiar interest in shooting out television sets with small caliber handguns. Nope, they won't be making anymore like him, so grab your friends and swivel your hips to one of the greatest Elvis celebrations the strip has ever seen: ''Elvis: Viva Las Vegas,'' airing Tuesday, Sept. 18, on ABC.

Setting the scene: Mixing Elvis Presley with Las Vegas is like mixing Viagra with a visit to the Playboy Mansion - sensory overload. But they're still two great tastes that go great together, so head to the party supply store for Elvis-related paraphernalia. You should be able to find Elvis plates that look like gold records, Elvis napkins and Elvis banners. You can even get Elvis gold sunglasses by the dozen as party favors! Fill the house with Elvis posters and a life-size Elvis cardboard stand-up that you can talk to - or have a little less conversation with, it's up to you.

Attire: Blue suede shoes, gold lame jackets or rhinestone jumpsuits.

On the menu: Of course, fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. But true to his Southern roots, Elvis loved home cooking, so serve guests biscuits with Southern sausage gravy, fried catfish, buttermilk corn bread and sweet potato cream cheese pie. Beverages are wine from Graceland Cellars or Budweiser, the King of Beers.

On the hi-fi: This special has already spawned a soundtrack worth listening to. It features the King covering everything from ''Bridge Over Troubled Water'' to ''You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling.'' Don't worry, there's still classics such as ''See See Rider'' and ''Viva Las Vegas'' to keep things pure.

The showstopper: Who doesn't want a little bit of Elvis? Visit www.elvisowned.com to score a pair of dress socks actually worn by Elvis, guitar picks, small caliber handguns, razors, canceled checks, furniture and a 14-karat gold deputy badge ''E'' gave out to members of the Memphis Mafia!