Elvis and the Imposters Milwaukee Summerfest June 24, 2023

[FAVEHOUR]

Friend just told me about this

So summer tour confirmed

Tickets on sale in a couple of days
Ticketmaster

[sweetest punch]

https://milwaukeerecord.com/music/elvis ... ummerfest/

Elvis Costello & The Imposters will headline BMO Pavilion June 24 during Summerfest

Summerfest has been dropping a bunch of BMO Pavilion announcements lately (Cheap Trick! Cypress Hill! More!), but this one is especially sweet: Elvis Costello & The Imposters will headline the outdoor venue on Saturday, June 24. YES.

First-come, first-served general seating is free at the BMO Pavilion, though reserved seating tickets are also available. Those tickets will go on sale Friday, March 17 at 10 a.m. at Summerfest.com, Ticketmaster.com, or in person at the Summerfest Box Office. Tickets include general admission to Summerfest the day of the show.

[sweetest punch]

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0700 ... s-Costello

Onsale Dates and Times

Onsale to General Public
Starts Fri, Mar 17 @ 10:00 am CDT

Venue Presale
Starts Thu, Mar 16 @ 10:00 am CDT
Ends Thu, Mar 16 @ 10:00 pm CDT

[Man out of Time]

Preview by Piet Levy in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on March 13, 2023.

"Summerfest 2023: Elvis Costello, Cypress Hill coming to Milwaukee festival’s BMO Pavilion

Hip-hop veterans Cypress Hill, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Elvis Costello with his band the Imposters, are coming to Summerfest, the latest BMO Pavilion headliners announced for the Milwaukee festival’s 55th anniversary.

Reserved seats for Costello's June 24 show, and Cypress Hill's show June 29, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at the box office (200 N. Harbor Drive) and summerfest.com. Prices have yet to be announced, but reserved seats include Summerfest general admission on June 24 and 29, respectively. General seating will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis for Summerfest ticketholders."

No mention of Charlie Sexton, but that does not rule him out. This show has yet to be added to the Tour page at Elviscostello.com.

MOOT

[geebot]

Not sure if it was just me but the presale was only showing seating on the sides and in the back sections. I'll give it another shot tomorrow or just go with the scalper's premium.

[johnfoyle]

Anyone going?

[sweetest punch]

Via Facebook:

Summer fest, Milwaukee, WI
1. Lipstick Vogue
2. Mystery Dance, including 4th verse
3. Hetty O'Hara Confidential
4. Radio Radio
5. Newspaper Pane
6. No Action
7. Watching The Detectives
8. Accidents Will Happen
9. Everyday I Write The Book
10. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
11. Welcome To The Working Week, including Workin' Man Blues
12. Alison
13. What If I Can't Give You Anything But Love
14. (I Don't Want To Go To} Chelsea
15. Magnificent Hurt
16. Pump It Up
17. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding
18. Blood & Hot Sauce

[Charles]

No Action!!! Jealous af!

[sweetest punch]

https://eu.jsonline.com/story/entertain ... 338867007/

Elvis Costello & the Imposters

Over the last 40 years, Elvis Costello has performed in Milwaukee countless times — and by now, local fans know they can expect a killer show from the New Wave crooner.

On Saturday night at the BMO Pavilion, Costello met those expectations during a career-spanning set. The prolific rocker opened his show with a raucous version of “Lipstick Vogue” and played a range of hits — including, but definitely not limited to, “Radio Radio,” “Alison,” “Everyday I Write the Book,” and “Welcome to the Working Week.”

Costello has one of the most distinct voices in rock history. Much like his signature howl, Costello’s guitar skills haven’t aged a day since “My Aim Is True” debuted in 1977.

The half-empty bleachers lining the venue were the only disappointing part of Costello’s show. Hearing that many legendary left-of-the-dial anthems live is a rare opportunity, especially as power pop’s peak continues to fade further into the rear view mirror.

— Lauren Keene, Special to the Journal Sentinel

[geebot]

Attended the Summerfest show as well as the Hammond show the night before. Hammond was very good, Summerfest was excellent. I read some posts here about Elvis being off his game and this show would suggest otherwise. Not as long a set as some past tours but pretty tight musically and Elvis' voice was great. No encores, he barreled through Pump it Up into Peace, Love and Understanding and then made only a brief introduction to a very strong Blood and Hot Sauce. Just questioning the logistics of this leg of the tour, Hammond (just SE of Chicago) leading into Milwaukee then doubling back into Southern Indiana in three days on a tour bus can't be fun.

Oh, and to comment on the Milwaukee Journal review above, ("Costello’s guitar skills haven’t aged a day"), Elvis's guitar skills have evolved and improved in recent years. He was always a solid player but he's demonstrating some real skills on this tour.

[verbal gymnastics]

Was No Action prompted by the lack of (corporate crowd) activity?

[sweetest punch]

https://shepherdexpress.com/music/summe ... dAh56sNjmk

Elvis Costello Doesn’t Miss ‘The Beat’ at BMO Pavilion

Just over four and a half decades into his career, Elvis Costello is still the coolest one in the room whenever he steps on stage. He didn’t need to prove it, but he did anyway on Saturday night, to a full BMO Pavilion stage at Summerfest.

Wasting no time to jump into “Lipstick Vogue” and “Mystery Dance” from his first two albums, Costello and the Imposters had a fire about them, almost eager to show that the night was not going to be a sit-down affair. Drummer Pete Thomas, guest guitarist Charlie Sexton and keyboardist Steve Nieve followed Costello’s lead, at the ready to jump into a song at a moment’s notice. Thomas even jumped the gun early on, with Costello stopping the drummer so that he could tell a story about his first time hearing Bruce Springsteen, calling him “fucking brilliant” for being able to romanticize a town like Asbury Park, New Jersey before abandoning where he was going to launch into “Radio Radio.” Costello could be a storyteller if he wanted to, but much of the night was focused on giving Milwaukee as much music as the band could.

In fact, Costello could do just about anything and pull it off, because well, he’s Elvis Costello. He knew it, too, often taking liberties with the vocal performance and cadence of his verses. “Watching The Detectives” had an extended introduction, and an even more drawn out delivery that took the song into more poetic territory than any semblance of a recorded version. Costello would often go at his own pace vocally, but with an astounding group of veteran musicians around him, he could give alternate takes on his classics without derailing the evening.

For the better part of an hour and 40 minutes, Costello and the Imposters held the spotlight, taking songs in unique directions at will. While there weren’t signs of fatigue, the setlist did offer for some spots for the band to catch their collective breath. Specifically, the middle of the set saw Costello slow the tempo down, and the musicianship of the collective took over. Nieve was, as always, a crowd favorite, jumping from several organs to a piano or a melodica if the song called for it. While Costello is the name on the marquee, The Imposters certainly do their fair share to make the experience special.

The back half of the set would see the tempo pick up once again, with “(I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea” starting the ascent back up from the band. There was a missed opportunity for opener Nick Lowe to join for his song, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding,” an idea that was probably floated and ultimately declined due to its late placement in the set. After rifling through the hits to bring things home, “Pump It Up” seemed like a logical conclusion to the night. With the house lights coming up, Costello asked if it was too late for the crowd, which was met to a resounding “no!” He then finished by asking if it was too late to announce his candidacy, and that he had a campaign song, the unreleased “Blood and Hot Sauce” from his musical “A Face In The Crowd,” which may have overstayed its welcome.

Although an awkward finish, again, he could do that, because he’s Elvis Costello. It was undeniable that Costello and the Imposters gave a spirited, lengthy set that didn’t lack for quality with age. There doesn’t seem to be any slowing down for Costello and co., and Saturday night was a reminder of that.

[sweetest punch]

https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/elvis- ... summerfest

Old friends Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe share the spotlight at Summerfest

Elvis Costello and The Imposters returned to Summerfest on the Big Gig's first Saturday night as part of the ongoing 'We'e All Going On A Summer Holiday' tour and it only seems right that Costello brought Nick Lowe along for the ride.

Both played in the BMO Harris Pavilion, and Lowe performed with the band Los Straitjackets.

The pair's relationship goes back to the very beginning of Costello’s career, when Lowe produced Costello’s iconic run of his first five albums, from 1977’s “My Aim is True” to 1981’s “Trust.”

Five years later, they reunited for the rough and ready “Blood and Chocolate,” and in 1994, Lowe played bass on much of “Brutal Youth,” an album that at the time many suggested was a return to the “angry young man” form of Costello’s early career.

It should be noted here, too, that Lowe penned “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding,” when he was a member of Brinsley Schwarz, but the song has become an anthem that is closely identified with Costello’s energetic 1979 version.

These days Lowe continues to tour with his Yep Roc labelmates Los Straitjackets, who are instantly “recognizable” by the Mexican wrestling masks they don onstage.

While Lowe and Los Straitjackets might at first glance seem an odd combination – one with a gimmick, the other entirely gimmick-free – they work well together.

Together they’ve released a series of EPs and 2020’s “Walkabout.” Lowe’s latest solo effort was the 2013 Christmas album, “Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family.”

Their set kicked off with a poppy Lowe classic, “So It Goes,” followed by his “Ragin’ Eyes,” “Without Love” and a couple other gems, including the lovely country ballad, “Lately I’ve Let Things Slide,” before he bowed out, leaving the stage to The Straitjackets.

For a quartet of tunes, the Nashville outfit let their high-powered surf-inspired roar. After covers of the theme song from “The Magnificent Seven" and "Venus," Lowe returned.

When he returned, Lowe performed “House for Sale,” an R&B-infliuenced ballad that manages to be both touching and biting.

During this section, Lowe played his one American hit, 1979’s “Cruel to Be Kind,” followed by the evening’s closers: “When I Write the Book,” which he recorded with his band Rockpile, and “I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll),” which dates to the era of Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit.

With a sound that mines the intersection of early rock ‘n’ roll, R&B and country, Lowe’s songwriting skills are perfectly matched with his voice and his no-nonsense approach.

After an hour-long break, Costello and his band took the stage, and the front of house sound was surprisingly ill-defined and muddy considering how much better Lowe and Los Straitjackets’ mix had been.

Joining Costello were his longtime sidemen, keyboardist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas – who were two-thirds of The Attractions – and bassist Davey Faragher, who is a pretty stalwart Costello collaborator by now, too. On guitar for the tour is guest Charlie Sexton.

(In a couple days, the outfit will also be joined by a horn section, but that trio was not present in Milwaukee.)

Costello is touring in support of his latest record, “The Boy Named If,” released earlier this year. It is his 32nd studio LP, though he only touched on it glancingly here. From the record he performed only “Magnificent Hurt” and “What If I Can’t Give You Anything But Love?”

Instead, more it seems than at any other show so far on the tour, Costello focused on his classic material – to the delight of the audience – playing only a couple other recent tunes, like “Hetty O'Hara Confidential” and “Newspaper Pane.”

Otherwise, it was a romp through favorites like “Radio Radio,” “Pump It Up,” “Everyday I Write the Book,” “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes,” “Lipstick Vogue,” “Mystery Dance,” “No Action” and so on.

He played “Accidents Will Happen” mostly as a duet with Nieve playing piano, though the band kicked in at the end for the refrain.

On an extended “Watching the Detectives,” Nieve played melodica, conjuring Augustus Pablo, and Costello tinkered with a device that added a dub-style delay on his voice.

Costello’s pitch-perfect vintage R&B falsetto at the end of “Alison” brought down the house, but his vocal approach was not always crowd-pleasing.

Always known to tinker with arrangements of his songs onstage, on Saturday night he didn’t do that as much as he riffed extensively on the melodies and phrasing, frustrating the fans that might have hoped to sing along.

Drummer Thomas hasn’t lost a step and is still one of the best drummers in rock and roll, and he forms a tight rhythm section with Faragher. Sexton provided color and flavor, plus traded solos with Costello, and Nieve has always been a key (sorry) element in Elvis’ sound.

Ever the showman, Costello chatted a bit between songs, telling a Springsteen story he’s been sharing nightly before “Radio Radio,” but also mentioned that his first U.S. tour skipped Milwaukee for a gig at the dearly departed Bunky’s in Madison instead.

He also couldn’t resist good-humoredly pointing out the swarm of lakefront insects, attracted surely by the spotlight, that danced around his head all night, in his word, “kissing” him.

If the decision to end the set with the biting and relatively unknown “Blood & Hot Sauce” instead of the blistering, optimistic and crowd-pleasing “(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” (which he played second to last), baffled some, for the most part the audience was along for the entire ride.

After a set that ran slightly more than 90 minutes, there was no encore.

Earlier in the day, Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound played on the same stage, which was appropriate as the veteran frontman has a connection to Lowe, who was known to be a big fan of Cebar’s group The R&B Cadets.

In 1986, Lowe produced “Dear John,” a song on The Cadets’ LP, “Top Happy.”

Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets setlist

So It Goes
Ragin' Eyes
Without Love
Lately I've Let Things Slide
Battlefield
Somebody Cares for Me
Tokyo Bay
Kawanga! (without Nick Lowe)
The Magnificent Seven Theme (without Nick Lowe)
Venus (without Nick Lowe)
Instrumental (without Nick Lowe)
House for Sale
Trombone
Half a Boy and Half a Man
Shting-Shtang
Cruel to Be Kind
When I Write the Book
I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll)

Elvis Costello & The Imposters setlist

Lipstick Vogue
Mystery Dance
Hetty O'Hara Confidential
Radio Radio
Newspaper Pane
No Action
Watching the Detectives
Accidents Will Happen
Everyday I Write the Book
(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
Welcome to the Working Week/Working Man Blues
Alison
What If I Can't Give You Anything But Love?
(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea
Magnificent Hurt
Pump It Up
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding
Blood & Hot Sauce

[johnfoyle]

Photos by Paul Schmitz