B O S T O N   G L O B E
                    Copyright Globe Newspaper Company 1991
 DATE: WEDNESDAY June 19, 1991
 PAGE: 42     EDITION: THIRD
 SECTION: ARTS AND FILM                     LENGTH: MEDIUM
 SOURCE: By Jim Sullivan, Globe Staff
 MEMO: MUSIC REVIEW
      *ELVIS*COSTELLO*and THE RUDE 5
       At: Holman Park with the Replacements, last night

            COSTELLO PUMPS UP THE EMOTIONS FOR HOLMAN PARK'S OPENER
     NASHUA, N.H. -- ''I like opening up a joint, it's kinda cool,'' 
said the Replacements' Slim Dunlap, a few minutes before his band 
christened the 12- date series at the joint in question, Holman Park, 
a baseball stadium-cum- 16,000-capacity concert venue whose primary 
audience base is northeastern Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. 
As openings went, this one, headlined by*Elvis*Costello*and the Rude 
5, went pretty smoothly, probably aided by there being only a shade 
over 4,000 folks in attendance, minimizing traffic and parking 
problems.
   ''I've never opened a facility this easily,'' said production 
manager Jon Rosbrook, after the show. Other pluses: pleasant weather, 
clear sound and a beautiful sunset, for which promoter Don Law said he 
paid a bit extra. Playing weatherman for a moment, Law also predicted 
an almost precipitation-free summer, allowing for just the occasional 
sprinkle. Minor negatives: a few mosquitos and some lines at the 
portable toilets.
   As for the main attraction,*Elvis*Costello,*well, he looked a 
little different -- bearded, ponytailed, sun-glassed and chunkier, 
like Jerry Garcia's younger brother, quipped one backstage wag -- but 
he was in fine voice and in a generous mood. He and his backing band, 
the Rude 5 -- there were only four of them but last time on tour there 
were six; go figure -- played a two-hour set, framing it with old 
favorites, ''Accidents Will Happen'' and ''(The Angels Wanna Wear My) 
Red Shoes'' at the start and ''Alison'' and ''Pump It Up'' at the 
close, and devoting much of the set to energized versions of songs on 
his latest disc, ''Mighty Like a Rose.'' It's a difficult, somewhat 
dense record, but live there was more breathing space and power. Larry 
Knechter's keyboard work bordered on the majestic. Guitarist Marc 
Ribot once again proved his jack-of-all-trades value, and 
ex-Attraction Pete Thomas and bassist Jerry Scheff kept the rhythm 
intact. They could move from a whisper to a scream with ease.
   Like Lou Reed, Costello has always written adult rock, always been 
able to give an old cliche a twist, as in ''Home is anywhere you hang 
your head.'' The main changes over time are his growth as a vocalist 
and his increasing depth as a songwriter. Where he was once motivated, 
he said, by revenge and guilt, he'll now deal with a plethora of 
emotions and musical styles. He brought the show to a hush with 
''Couldn't Call It Unexpected'' and Mose Allison's ''Everybody's 
Crying But They Don't Know the Meaning of the Word.'' He brought both 
comedy and righteous rage to ''God's Comic,'' as God blasted man for 
colorizing movies, buying Michael Bolton records and, oh yes, starting 
wars. Great line: ''A frightened child leaves a hero/And everything 
means less than zero.''
   It was Costello's ability to make these musical and emotional sharp 
turns that made the show yet another of his successes. He found pain 
in ''Deep Dark Truthful Mirror''; he turned wistful with ''Veronica,'' 
bittersweet and deceptively breezy with ''The Other Side of Summer,'' 
frighteningly obsessive with ''So Like Candy''/''I Want You.''
   The Replacements' Paul Westerberg is no slouch when it comes to 
matching sharp words and music either, and that the 'Mats did in their 
opening set. It was weird to see 'em in the daylight -- rock just 
doesn't work so well under the sun -- but the band turned in a fine 
set, highlighted by ''Merry Go Round,'' ''Another Girl, Another 
Planet'' and ''Swinging Party.'' Unlike the time they opened up a 
summer shed tour for Tom Petty, they didn't wear dresses, didn't play 
sloppily and played many of their well-known songs.