Costello Heads To Memphis For Live DVD, plus other appearances
Billboard, 2004-09-13
- Barry A. Jeckell

Edited By Jonathan Cohen. September 13, 2004, 11:00 AM ET

Costello Heads To Memphis For Live DVD

Shortly before the release of his latest studio album, Elvis Costello will stage a pair of performances at an intimate Memphis club that will be the basis of the artist's first DVD release. The enigmatic performer will play two concerts Friday (Sept. 17) at the 250-capacity Hi-Tone Café.

The same venue hosted Costello and the Imposters for a quartet of shows prior to the recording of "The Delivery Man," due Sept. 21 via Lost Highway. It is unknown when the DVD will be released; an airdate for a suggested HD special stemming from the same performances has yet to be announced.

"The Delivery Man" was largely recorded less than two hours away from the Hi-Tone at Sweet Tea Studios in Oxford, Miss. (one track was recorded in Clarksdale, Miss.). Along with the Imposters -- Attractions drummer Pete Thomas and keyboardist Steve Nieve and former Cracker bassist Davey Farragher -- the set features appearances by Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris, and was produced by Costello and Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse, Throwing Muses).

Aside from the Memphis shows, Costello has only one other U.S. public appearance on his schedule: Sunday at Texas' Austin City Limits Music Festival. The next day, he will tape an episode of the PBS series on which the event is based.

A round of television appearances in support of "The Delivery Man" begins Sept 22 with a visit to CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman," a show that Costello guest-hosted last year while Letterman recovered from an extended illness. The next day he'll appear on the syndicated daytime show "Live With Regis & Kelly," followed by a Sept. 24 performance on NBC's "Late Night With Conan O'Brien."

A lone U.K. show is scheduled for Oct. 6 in Glasgow, followed by an Australian visit that includes six dates on the A Day on the Green festival tour and a Japanese trek that will wrap in mid-December.

Sept. 21 will also see the release of. "Il Sogno," Costello's first full-length orchestral work, through Deutsche Grammophon.

Here are Costello's upcoming tour dates:

Sept. 17: Memphis (Hi-Tone Café)
Sept. 19: Austin, Texas (Austin City Limits Music Festival)
Oct. 6: Glasgow (Barrowlands)
Nov. 20: Hunter Valley, Australia (Bimbadgen Estate, "A Day on the Green")
Nov. 21: Canberra, Australia (Stage 88, "A Day on the Green")
Nov. 22: Melbourne (Palais Theatre)
Nov. 24-25: Sydney (State Theatre)
Nov. 27: Yarra Valley, Australia (Rochfords Eyton, "A Day on the Green")
Nov. 28: Tasmania, Australia (Moorilla Estate, "A Day on the Green")
Dec. 1: Brisbane (Convention Centre)
Dec. 2: Darwin, Australia (Darwin Big Top)
Dec. 4: Barossa Valley, Australia (Peter Lehmann Wines, "A Day on the Green")
Dec. 5: Perth (Kings Park, "A Day on the Green")
Dec. 8-9: Tokyo (Kouseinenkin)
Dec. 10: Osaka (Gran Cube)
Dec. 12: Fukuoka, Japan (Zepp)
Dec. 14: Tokyo (Kouseinenkin)
Dec. 15: Nagoya, Japan (Kinrokaikan)

-- Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.
Copyright 2004 Billboard