Drew writes to listserv -
Just got back from the Wiltern. I'm not going into much detail here as
it's
late (and I'm sure others will), but this could be the best EC show
I've
seen in any incarnation (and some 25-30 shows).
After a very good but disappointingly short set in Vegas last night
(with
Elvis feeling--and exhibiting--the effects of emergency dental surgery
the
day before), tonight was one of those nights I will not soon forget.
I
kept myself pretty much in the dark on setlists until the Vegas show,
so I
can't really tell you what is unusual on this one...I can say that
there
were a bunch here that I had never seen him play (the first McFee set,
Next
Time Round, Possession, Heart of the City), which is always a treat.
Next Time Round
Uncomplicated
Possession
Radio Radio
Button My Lip
Country Darkness
Bedlam
Needle Time
Hidden Shame
Blame it on Cain
Either Side of the Same Town
Chelsea
Clubland
w/John McFee (!) on Pedal Steel:
Heart Shaped Bruise
Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down
Sweet Dreams
Stranger in the House
Waiting for the End of the World
(McFee leaves)
Kinder murder
In the Darkest Place
When I was Cruel
Watching the Detectives
Delivery Man
Monkey to Man
Accidents Will Happen
Story in Your Voice
w/John McFee on Guitar:
Mystery Dance
Why Don't You Love Me
Alison (with McFee playing the original guitar licks...classic!)
(McFee Leaves)
Pump it up
Mystery train
Hurry Down Doomsday
Heart of the City
PLU (w/ a Kids are Alright bit)
I Want You
Scarlet Tide
I think I got 'em all. I haven't seen a posting on Vegas...I have
that
setlist as well if anyone is interested...
Drew M.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nunki adds -
It was an absolutely awesome, epic show, every bit as good as Drew's
set list suggests. John McFee's songs were an obvious highlight,
although for my money the best performances of all were "The Scarlet
Tide" and (of all things) "When I Was Cruel No. 2."
Elvis mentioned that Lucinda couldn't make it because she was attending
the Bob Dylan/Merle Haggard concert at the Pantages Theatre.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's an interesting interview with McFee from a few years ago -
http://www.clover-infopage.com/clover47.html
L.A. Wiltern Setlist (wow)
What is it with Elvis and the old dentistry? A Florida newspaper interview a few weeks ago referred to how it was done via a mobile 'phone while Elvis was travelling from a London dentist to his home.
It's a culture thing I suppose. British journalist Toby Young used to tell of how his party piece during his time in New York was to show his 'English teeth' , to the considerable hilarity of all viewers. Maybe
Elvis has bowed to such pressure and is getting his gnashers straightened and all that malarky. Perhaps such treatment has exposed all kinds of other gum stuff.
It's a pity . Besides making his image as boringly perfect as others it would also remove that obvious gap in his front teeth. Someone once explained to me that such a feature is good for singers. Vocal
sounds can , quite literally, get out easier , having less of a physical barrier .
His missus , Diana , also seems to be orthodontically challenged . In interviews last year she referred to all kinds of dental work , how it affected her shows etc.
It's a culture thing I suppose. British journalist Toby Young used to tell of how his party piece during his time in New York was to show his 'English teeth' , to the considerable hilarity of all viewers. Maybe
Elvis has bowed to such pressure and is getting his gnashers straightened and all that malarky. Perhaps such treatment has exposed all kinds of other gum stuff.
It's a pity . Besides making his image as boringly perfect as others it would also remove that obvious gap in his front teeth. Someone once explained to me that such a feature is good for singers. Vocal
sounds can , quite literally, get out easier , having less of a physical barrier .
His missus , Diana , also seems to be orthodontically challenged . In interviews last year she referred to all kinds of dental work , how it affected her shows etc.
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I thought he said/wrote somewhere that he would never mess with his teeth, for fear it'd change his sound, cause his delivery is due in part to that gap, just as his tone is due in part to his large schnoz, etc., but perhaps I am conflating a few diff quotes. Anyway at this age we all have our dental issues and needing a dentist hardly means reconstructive surgery...
And damn that's quite a setlist.
And damn that's quite a setlist.
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Media Credit: Photo courtesy of Tammy Abbott
The Delivery Man. During the last couple years, Costello has gotten married, been nomined for an Oscar and been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
http://www.dailytrojan.com/news/2005/03 ... 3684.shtml
Elvis Costello Delivers in concert with vocal power
By Michael Ordona
Elvis Costello got right down to business.
The erstwhile über-angry young man, now 50, an Oscar nominee and hall-of-famer, showed the crowd at his Saturday night Wiltern show that he was every bit as vital as he had ever been while showcasing his growth as a musician. He tore into the music with such urgency that it wasn't until eight songs in that he paused to speak with the audience. The celebrity-studded crowd (including Christopher Guest, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Foley and Gina Gershon) didn't complain, as Costello played a two-and-a-half hour, 35-song set that drew from all stages of his almost 30-year career.
Many of the selections received throbbing, full-on rock treatments by The Imposters - As Costello fans know, he rarely leaves his tunes alone when playing them live; the risks taken with their interpretation make each of his concerts unique.
Apart from playing almost every song from his latest album, The Delivery Man, Costello rolled out plenty of crowd-pleasers, like "Pump It Up," "Watching the Detectives" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," as well as more obscure tracks from his immense catalogue. Among these were a rock quartet version of the Burt Bacharach-co-written "In the Darkest Place," a scalding "Hurry Down Doomsday" and a bit of "I Feel Pretty" interpolated into "Clubland."
John McFee (the guitarist who played lead on Costello's first album and the "Almost Blue" record) joined the band to furnish the original lead lines for several songs, including a slew of country covers. Another artist might have feared that the extended country section risked losing the audience, but Costello's fans have come to expect - even to demand - that he do whatever he wants. Besides, they were rewarded with a pristine version of "Alison."
The focus of the concert was the Delivery Man material, which straddles rock, country and R&B. Many of the songs gained muscle from the live treatment, while a few lost some subtlety. "Button My Lip" became a bluesy stomp, with a drive and clarity not on the CD. "Needle Time" was played with a menacing gait, more like the newly released version on The Clarksdale Sessions (a companion EP/bonus disc to Delivery Man) than the original, robbing it of some of its evil train-wreck ambiance. "Bedlam" benefited from the harder approach, but the steady rumble of the kick drum (perhaps too far forward in the mix all night) threatened to overwhelm it.
Among other highlights, Costello displayed some impressive lead guitar chops on "Blame It on Cain," "When I Was Cruel No. 2" and especially on an absolutely blistering rendition of "I Want You" (an obsessively jealous rant which the singer imbued with naked fury).
Costello's set was like cold water in the face after opening-act Sondre Lerche, a jazzy singer-songwriter originally from Norway.
Lerche has a way with pop standard-style compositions and is a fine guitarist, but his Roddy Frame-like, wispy crooning eventually wore out its welcome.
Of course, when Costello took the stage, all was forgiven.
The 35th song of Costello's performance was a lovely, extended version of the Oscar-nominated "Scarlet Tide" (from "Cold Mountain"). For one verse, the singer stepped away from the microphone and filled the Wiltern with the power of his lungs. It was yet another example of the assured virtuosity of one of rock's most enduring artists, and the crowd went nuts for it.
Show-off.
Sang H. Park, The Orange County Register
ECLECTIC: An animated Elvis Costello at the Wiltern. His mix of material was more diverse than in past shows.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2005/03/2 ... 459201.php
Monday, March 28, 2005
The Orange County Register
Special delivery
Showcasing his excellent 'Delivery Man' album, Elvis Costello at 50 proves tremendous in a relentless L.A. show.
By BEN WENER
The Orange County Register
It goes without saying - to his devotees, at least - that by now the only people who turn out to see Elvis Costello live are those truly committed to the bespectacled Englishman and his ever-mutating music.
Never mind that his searing, relentless set Saturday at the Wiltern Theatre was precisely the sort of galvanizing introduction any newcomer would be lucky to encounter, even if he would have recognized only a fraction of the tunes. Truth is, much of why Costello's concerts are so tremendous these days is that they are in no way intended for newcomers.
He long ago stopped bothering to convince the young or unconverted; they rarely turn up to see him anyway, not the way they do with Dylan or Springsteen or Prince. Those are legends whose audiences are routinely maxed-out as much by rookies who want to say they saw them once as lifelong followers who stuck it out through good and bad.
Costello's crowds, it seems, comprise only the latter, though they've made room for lapsed fans and lookie-loos during occasional comebacks - 1989's "Spike," for instance, or 1994's "Brutal Youth."
Rationalize an excuse if it makes you feel better about why your Hall of Fame hero has been unduly neglected since then. The obvious one blames a decade of hit-and- miss experimentation that has seen the esteemed songwriter collaborate with string quartets, opera divas, jazz guitarists and Burt Bacharach.
But that's misguided, and ultimately not facile enough. The plain fact is that the one-of-a-kind Costello, 50, has always been too literate a classicist for the masses, his wildly varied music and dense, acerbic wordplay making him a respected but acquired taste.
Thus, he and his Imposters - two-thirds of the renowned Attractions (drummer Pete Thomas and keys man Steve Nieve) plus bassist Davey Faragher - can stroll onto the Wiltern stage with zero fanfare, proceed to tear through 35 songs in 2-1/2 hours with few pauses for asides or titles and not fear that they've lost anyone in the enthusiastic, well-versed and (this night) star-dotted audience along the way.
That's been Costello's approach on his past few L.A. stops. But this time, toting material from "The Delivery Man," his best work since the mid-'80s, the mix was heartier, less dour and more diverse than those recent shows.
Adding to the greatness of the new collection, a rootsy affair cut mostly in Mississippi, is its ability to complement virtually every facet of its author's career. That much he proved right away: a string of "Delivery" tunes - the ramshackle "Button My Lip," the soulful "Country Darkness," the cyclonic groove of "Bedlam," the eventual bluesy strut of "Needle Time" - made perfect sense coming after a roaring opening of two from 1986's "Blood and Chocolate" (that album's start and finish, actually), the gem "Possession" and the staple "Radio, Radio."
From there, his selections veered in all directions.
Logically, he dabbled in country, reviving two cuts penned for giants ("Hidden Shame" for Johnny Cash, "Stranger in the House" for George Jones) and tossing in three remakes from his 1981 Nashville detour, "Almost Blue." (Curiously, he offered nothing from "King of America," the clearest correlative to "The Delivery Man.")
He grabbed "In the Darkest Place" back from his Bacharach collaboration. He peppered stretches of obscurities with more famous ones - "Accidents Will Happen, "Club land" and "Watching the Detectives." Indeed, he played lots from his 1977 debut, "My Aim Is True," perhaps because session pro John McPhee was on hand to bring pedal steel back to "Blame It on Cain" and expertly re-create lyrical lines in "Alison" few audiences have heard since way back when.
And when Costello appeared ready to conclude his main set with "Pump It Up," he didn't let up, barreling into a cover of "Mystery Train," resurrecting his own chaotic "Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)" and two by pal Nick Lowe - "Heart of the City" and the immortal "(What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding") - before tumbling into a jaw-dropping take on the riveting "I Want You," his face illuminated by a footlight.
One more, his Oscar-nominated "The Scarlet Tide," to finish it off. Then goodnight and no encore. But no complaints. Newbies won't understand, but the true believers knew they had seen one of the best Costello shows in years.
I figured I got the best of EC by seeing him New Orleans. Figured he'd be a bit more in cynical mode out here on the coast. Guess I figured wrong. This is starting to sound as if it's going to go down in the EC history books as one of his better tours.
It's possible that Diana Krall's greatest contribution to modern music MIGHT be in making EC a happy man.
It's possible that Diana Krall's greatest contribution to modern music MIGHT be in making EC a happy man.
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117926 ... id=34&cs=1
Elvis Costello and the Imposters
(Wiltern Theater LG, Los Angeles; 2,200 capacity, $65 top)
Presented by Avalon Attractions/Andy Hewitt.
Reviewed March 25, 2005.
Band: Elvis Costello, Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas, Davey Faragher.
Special Guest: John McFee.
Also appearing: Sondre Lerche.
By STEVEN MIRKIN
At the start of Elvis Costello's concert, it was hard to believe a 50-year-old man was onstage. Costello and the Imposters played with the fervor and breakneck speed of his late '70s concerts, running through eight songs in the first 30 minutes. And even when the pace slackened, Costello and his band sounded revitalized.
His most recent album, "The Delivery Man" (Lost Highway), is his most successful foray into country soul, a raggedly comfortable tour through the swamps of Louisiana and Muscle Shoals, Ala., and its gritty swing informs the entire show. The bile of "Radio Radio" is more considered, cut with the rollicking New Orleans rhythm in Pete Thomas' drumming. The stiffness that characterized the country of 1981's "Almost Blue" album is gone; Costello sings "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" and "Sweet Dreams" with an ease and grace.
He's also playing guitar with a newfound enthusiasm. His solos on the epic "Needle Time" and "I Want You" show how much he picked up from former band mate Marc Ribot -- their complex jagged construction and gorgeously warm, overdriven tone are impressive. Steve Naive on keyboards and Theremin, remains a wonderfully resourceful musician, adding the perfect flourishes to the songs, while Pete Thomas remains one of the premiere drummers working today.
They find ways to bring life to even the oldest songs in Costello's catalog. "Allison" gains a country lilt, and "Clubland""Clubland" takes a Latin turn; "Heart of the City" (written and originally recorded by Nick Lowe) is an infectious joy. They also find unexpected congruences -- the sophisticated pop of his Bacharach collaboration "In The Darkest Places" segues easily into the cheater's ballad "Either Side Of the Same Town," one of two brilliant Dan Penn-styled songs on the new album.
David Lee Roth once complained that the reason why rock critics preferred Elvis Costello to Roth is because most rock critics looked like Costello. Leaving aside the satisfying fact that Costello has aged better than Roth (a statement that works on just about every level), the real reason critics react so strongly to Costello is because, after seeing a show as keenly intelligent in its assessment of his career as this, it's possible to believe he thinks like a rock critic.
Costello and the Imposters play New York's Beacon Theater April 22 and are scheduled to appear with Emmylou Harris as part of Central Park's Summerstage program on July 19.
Elvis Costello and the Imposters
(Wiltern Theater LG, Los Angeles; 2,200 capacity, $65 top)
Presented by Avalon Attractions/Andy Hewitt.
Reviewed March 25, 2005.
Band: Elvis Costello, Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas, Davey Faragher.
Special Guest: John McFee.
Also appearing: Sondre Lerche.
By STEVEN MIRKIN
At the start of Elvis Costello's concert, it was hard to believe a 50-year-old man was onstage. Costello and the Imposters played with the fervor and breakneck speed of his late '70s concerts, running through eight songs in the first 30 minutes. And even when the pace slackened, Costello and his band sounded revitalized.
His most recent album, "The Delivery Man" (Lost Highway), is his most successful foray into country soul, a raggedly comfortable tour through the swamps of Louisiana and Muscle Shoals, Ala., and its gritty swing informs the entire show. The bile of "Radio Radio" is more considered, cut with the rollicking New Orleans rhythm in Pete Thomas' drumming. The stiffness that characterized the country of 1981's "Almost Blue" album is gone; Costello sings "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" and "Sweet Dreams" with an ease and grace.
He's also playing guitar with a newfound enthusiasm. His solos on the epic "Needle Time" and "I Want You" show how much he picked up from former band mate Marc Ribot -- their complex jagged construction and gorgeously warm, overdriven tone are impressive. Steve Naive on keyboards and Theremin, remains a wonderfully resourceful musician, adding the perfect flourishes to the songs, while Pete Thomas remains one of the premiere drummers working today.
They find ways to bring life to even the oldest songs in Costello's catalog. "Allison" gains a country lilt, and "Clubland""Clubland" takes a Latin turn; "Heart of the City" (written and originally recorded by Nick Lowe) is an infectious joy. They also find unexpected congruences -- the sophisticated pop of his Bacharach collaboration "In The Darkest Places" segues easily into the cheater's ballad "Either Side Of the Same Town," one of two brilliant Dan Penn-styled songs on the new album.
David Lee Roth once complained that the reason why rock critics preferred Elvis Costello to Roth is because most rock critics looked like Costello. Leaving aside the satisfying fact that Costello has aged better than Roth (a statement that works on just about every level), the real reason critics react so strongly to Costello is because, after seeing a show as keenly intelligent in its assessment of his career as this, it's possible to believe he thinks like a rock critic.
Costello and the Imposters play New York's Beacon Theater April 22 and are scheduled to appear with Emmylou Harris as part of Central Park's Summerstage program on July 19.
Hey, a Daily Trojan review, but nothing from the Daily Bruin. 
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!
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http://www.lavoice.org/modules.php?op=m ... le&sid=648
Posted by: TonyScudellari on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - 08:12 AM
Elvis Costello & The Imposters At The Wiltern
I must confess: I have missed only one Elvis Costello tour ever - and it wasn't by choice. Costello has an amazing ability to make every performance riveting, fresh and a breath-taking musical experience.
Costello's Saturday show at the Wiltern was transcendent to be almost religious, yet pleasurable enough to be almost sinful ...
Costello demonstrated once again why he is one of contemporary music's most interesting and important artists. His Los Angeles show was the final stop on the first leg of his current US tour.
Costello and The Imposters (Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas & Davey Faragher) played an energetic set of 36 songs within two and a half hours that grabbed you by the ears from the first notes of "The Next Time Round" and didn't let go until the last song - the Oscar-nominated "The Scarlet Tide."
The show had something for everyone. But, instead of sounding like a mish mash of differing styles, Costello emphasized his more roots-rock material. This fit in with the songs from his latest CD, "The Delivery Man" - from which he played 10 out of the CD's 13 cuts. Of these new songs, Costello's live renditions of "Button My Lip," "Country Darkness," "Needle Time," "Bedlam," "Monkey to Man" and title track were real stand-outs.
Costello pulled material spanning his 27+ years of recording. Legendary guitarist John McFee was a special guest for the show. McFee played steel guitar on a number of country-infused selections - from the current "Heart Shaped Bruise" to 1981's covers of "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" and "Sweet Dreams" (from "Almost Blue") and Costello's own "Waiting For The End Of The World." Costello preceded his set with McFee by noting that he met Loretta Lynn during his Nashville recording sessions for "Almost Blue" "...before Jack White was a glimmer in Mr. & Mrs. White's eyes...." Later in the concert, McFee also played lead guitar on early Costello faves "Mystery Dance," "Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)" and "Alison."
Country music was clearly on Costello's mind all evening. Costello played "Hidden Shame" which he wrote for Johnny Cash and "Stranger In The House" which he did with George Jones. And, he made reference to the Bob Dylan / Merle Haggard show across town at the Pantages.
But the 50 year old still could rock. Classics such as "Accidents Will Happen," "Radio Radio," "Watching the Detectives" and "Pump It Up" had the audience on its feet dancing. The songs sounded as fresh as when the legendary "Angry Young Man" first performed them in the late 1970s.
A typical Costello concert trademark is referencing songs within songs he has made famous. And, true to form, he did so in "Clubland" (playing "I Feel Pretty") and in "What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding" (referencing "The Kids Are Alright"). Costello also played a brilliant cover of Nick Lowe's "Heart of the City."
Opening for Costello was talented Norwegian artist Sondre Lerche. Lerche was a good match for Costello with his strong songwriting talents and engaging stage presence. The 22 year old demonstrated incredible self-confidence by performing with just his voice and his guitar. Lerche played selections from his two Astralwerks releases and was able to win over a tough audience during his all-too-brief set.
Posted by: TonyScudellari on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - 08:12 AM
Elvis Costello & The Imposters At The Wiltern
I must confess: I have missed only one Elvis Costello tour ever - and it wasn't by choice. Costello has an amazing ability to make every performance riveting, fresh and a breath-taking musical experience.
Costello's Saturday show at the Wiltern was transcendent to be almost religious, yet pleasurable enough to be almost sinful ...
Costello demonstrated once again why he is one of contemporary music's most interesting and important artists. His Los Angeles show was the final stop on the first leg of his current US tour.
Costello and The Imposters (Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas & Davey Faragher) played an energetic set of 36 songs within two and a half hours that grabbed you by the ears from the first notes of "The Next Time Round" and didn't let go until the last song - the Oscar-nominated "The Scarlet Tide."
The show had something for everyone. But, instead of sounding like a mish mash of differing styles, Costello emphasized his more roots-rock material. This fit in with the songs from his latest CD, "The Delivery Man" - from which he played 10 out of the CD's 13 cuts. Of these new songs, Costello's live renditions of "Button My Lip," "Country Darkness," "Needle Time," "Bedlam," "Monkey to Man" and title track were real stand-outs.
Costello pulled material spanning his 27+ years of recording. Legendary guitarist John McFee was a special guest for the show. McFee played steel guitar on a number of country-infused selections - from the current "Heart Shaped Bruise" to 1981's covers of "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" and "Sweet Dreams" (from "Almost Blue") and Costello's own "Waiting For The End Of The World." Costello preceded his set with McFee by noting that he met Loretta Lynn during his Nashville recording sessions for "Almost Blue" "...before Jack White was a glimmer in Mr. & Mrs. White's eyes...." Later in the concert, McFee also played lead guitar on early Costello faves "Mystery Dance," "Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)" and "Alison."
Country music was clearly on Costello's mind all evening. Costello played "Hidden Shame" which he wrote for Johnny Cash and "Stranger In The House" which he did with George Jones. And, he made reference to the Bob Dylan / Merle Haggard show across town at the Pantages.
But the 50 year old still could rock. Classics such as "Accidents Will Happen," "Radio Radio," "Watching the Detectives" and "Pump It Up" had the audience on its feet dancing. The songs sounded as fresh as when the legendary "Angry Young Man" first performed them in the late 1970s.
A typical Costello concert trademark is referencing songs within songs he has made famous. And, true to form, he did so in "Clubland" (playing "I Feel Pretty") and in "What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding" (referencing "The Kids Are Alright"). Costello also played a brilliant cover of Nick Lowe's "Heart of the City."
Opening for Costello was talented Norwegian artist Sondre Lerche. Lerche was a good match for Costello with his strong songwriting talents and engaging stage presence. The 22 year old demonstrated incredible self-confidence by performing with just his voice and his guitar. Lerche played selections from his two Astralwerks releases and was able to win over a tough audience during his all-too-brief set.
http://www.nowplayingmag.com/content/view/1302/
Elvis Costello
Contributed by Steven Hanna
Tuesday, 19 April 2005
I recently stumbled across a bootleg of the very first Elvis Costello show I ever saw. I was a latecomer, and didn’t catch the man until the fall of ’96, at the tail end of the tempestuous All This Useless Beauty tour. Bad vibes dripped off the stage and the chill in the room was like Costello was spitting out glistening ice cubes, and midway through the set he perversely called an audible, forcing the Attractions into a meandering stab at “So Like Candy.” By the abrupt, pulling-the-plug conclusion of the song a tense standoff had developed between Costello and thorn-in-his-side bassist Bruce Thomas, and afterwards not a single note was played for several painful minutes while the band testily conferred about how to proceed. For years I was sure I must be exaggerating the length of that awkward silence, but listening to this scratchy recording confirmed my memory.
Fearlessness and recklessness are often a hair’s breadth apart, and Costello has always been an artist whose determination to follow his muse onstage can lead him to brilliance or befuddledness in equal measure. Part of the joy of a Costello concert comes from watching him fancy-footwork his way out of difficult tonal corners in his set list, or from realizing that he’s not going to work his way out at all, and you’re just going to have to live with it. But in a whirlwind two-and-a-half hour performance at the Wiltern a few weeks back, closing out the current leg of his tour promoting last year’s superb The Delivery Man, Costello evinced newfound discipline in forging rewarding emotional detours through the dark and the sad and the shuffling without ever losing his way.
For instance, Costello and the Imposters – two of the original Attractions plus the redoubtable Davey Faraghar filling in for the great, loathed Thomas – could easily have derailed the evening’s momentum with repeated excursions into straight-up country music; they were risky calls before an audience not lacking in casual fans. Ditto the evening’s dark heart, a midset swing through “Kinder Murder,” “In the Darkest Place,” “When I Was Cruel No. 2,” and an almost mean-spirited “Watching the Detectives,” wherein Costello seemed to be using the song’s reggae-tinged riffs as a punching bag. Ten years ago the country stuff might have come off as indulgent, and the string of blackness would certainly have sent Costello sinking downwards into the depths, leaving a baffled crowd floating forlornly in lifeboats far above. But tonight Costello was in charge, often using My Aim is True-era chestnuts to buoy the evening’s mood, and relying on his less familiar but crunchily thrilling new material to anchor his spirits firmly in place. The band sounded good as well – Steve Nieve is a fantastically creative keys player, Pete Thomas’ drumming could hold together a shattering wineglass, and Faraghar is rock-solid, though a little unclever in recreating his predecessor’s wilder walks down the bass’ neck. If the night had its mildly unexciting moments – the Imposters were barely above sleepwalk status for overplayed fave “Pump It Up,” and much as you wanted to love guest pedal steel player John McFee’s intricate ornamenting of “Alison,” it just didn’t quite do it for you – overall the show was a masterful tour through perhaps the richest songbook in rock.
If Costello has learned how to keep his darker onstage impulses in check, avoiding the grinding missteps that nearly ruined that ’96 performance, then his concerts are now even more unmissable. It just goes to show: Stick around as long as Costello has, and the news is no longer that the guy’s so great. It’s that he’s still finding new ways to achieve greatness. A (Wiltern, Los Angeles, California, 03.26.05)
Elvis Costello
Contributed by Steven Hanna
Tuesday, 19 April 2005
I recently stumbled across a bootleg of the very first Elvis Costello show I ever saw. I was a latecomer, and didn’t catch the man until the fall of ’96, at the tail end of the tempestuous All This Useless Beauty tour. Bad vibes dripped off the stage and the chill in the room was like Costello was spitting out glistening ice cubes, and midway through the set he perversely called an audible, forcing the Attractions into a meandering stab at “So Like Candy.” By the abrupt, pulling-the-plug conclusion of the song a tense standoff had developed between Costello and thorn-in-his-side bassist Bruce Thomas, and afterwards not a single note was played for several painful minutes while the band testily conferred about how to proceed. For years I was sure I must be exaggerating the length of that awkward silence, but listening to this scratchy recording confirmed my memory.
Fearlessness and recklessness are often a hair’s breadth apart, and Costello has always been an artist whose determination to follow his muse onstage can lead him to brilliance or befuddledness in equal measure. Part of the joy of a Costello concert comes from watching him fancy-footwork his way out of difficult tonal corners in his set list, or from realizing that he’s not going to work his way out at all, and you’re just going to have to live with it. But in a whirlwind two-and-a-half hour performance at the Wiltern a few weeks back, closing out the current leg of his tour promoting last year’s superb The Delivery Man, Costello evinced newfound discipline in forging rewarding emotional detours through the dark and the sad and the shuffling without ever losing his way.
For instance, Costello and the Imposters – two of the original Attractions plus the redoubtable Davey Faraghar filling in for the great, loathed Thomas – could easily have derailed the evening’s momentum with repeated excursions into straight-up country music; they were risky calls before an audience not lacking in casual fans. Ditto the evening’s dark heart, a midset swing through “Kinder Murder,” “In the Darkest Place,” “When I Was Cruel No. 2,” and an almost mean-spirited “Watching the Detectives,” wherein Costello seemed to be using the song’s reggae-tinged riffs as a punching bag. Ten years ago the country stuff might have come off as indulgent, and the string of blackness would certainly have sent Costello sinking downwards into the depths, leaving a baffled crowd floating forlornly in lifeboats far above. But tonight Costello was in charge, often using My Aim is True-era chestnuts to buoy the evening’s mood, and relying on his less familiar but crunchily thrilling new material to anchor his spirits firmly in place. The band sounded good as well – Steve Nieve is a fantastically creative keys player, Pete Thomas’ drumming could hold together a shattering wineglass, and Faraghar is rock-solid, though a little unclever in recreating his predecessor’s wilder walks down the bass’ neck. If the night had its mildly unexciting moments – the Imposters were barely above sleepwalk status for overplayed fave “Pump It Up,” and much as you wanted to love guest pedal steel player John McFee’s intricate ornamenting of “Alison,” it just didn’t quite do it for you – overall the show was a masterful tour through perhaps the richest songbook in rock.
If Costello has learned how to keep his darker onstage impulses in check, avoiding the grinding missteps that nearly ruined that ’96 performance, then his concerts are now even more unmissable. It just goes to show: Stick around as long as Costello has, and the news is no longer that the guy’s so great. It’s that he’s still finding new ways to achieve greatness. A (Wiltern, Los Angeles, California, 03.26.05)
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martinfoyle
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I was beginning to think that this show hadn't been captured by the bootleggers. Thankfully I'm wrong, it's being torrented here.