Review of In-store Performance at Virgin Megastore on 1998-10-03
Rocktropolis, 1998-10-05
- John Bitzer


Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach's
Tour Preview Show Proves
Dramatic

   Although it wasn't a full set, the performance of
Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach at New York's
Virgin Megastore in Union Square Saturday
(Oct. 3) night served nonetheless as both the
premiere of the two legends as a duo and
offered a preview of the set they'll perform on 
their upcoming tour, and those who attended the
free show were treated to a remarkably satisfying 
performance. 
   One fascinating aspect of this collaboration lies in the
obvious contrasts between the two: Costello, the former
angry young man, appeared in a black suit and tie,
looking cosmopolitan; Bacharach, the longtime
mainstream pop composer who nobly stuck to his
aesthetic even through the tumultuous '60s, wore a
leisurely white polo shirt that set off his ubiquitous
Beverly Hills tan. But as they prove on their impressive
new album, Painted from Memory (released Sept. 29 on
Mercury), it is their connections that prove the most
rewarding. Costello marries his gift for detailed
wordplay with Bacharach's mastery of melody; and in
this casual live setting, the fruits of their labor were
even more delicious. 
   While Bacharach sat at the piano, offering chords and
grace notes, Costello stood and sang, exploiting the
enormous musical space to emote, enunciate, and add
nuance. "This is the first time I've ever played a concert
hall with an escalator running through the middle,"
joked Costello before introducing the duo's first song,
"Toledo," a rather complex story of lost love that uses
the dichotomy of the city's name -- comparing the
dullness of the Ohio town with the romance of the
"Spanish citadel" -- to make its point. 
   Indeed, the format allowed the songs to breathe, for
fans to hang on every well- chosen word for added
meaning, as Costello also relied on his instincts for
dramatic tension. Granted, he does not possess a pure
singer's voice, but over the years he's learned how to
use it to his best advantage; and since Bacharach's
serpentine melodies, wide note range, and unusual time
signatures have always challenged singers, he should
be credited simply for attempting them. 
   But onstage Costello went even further: there were
moments -- in "I Still Have That Other Girl" and in the
duo's six- minute masterwork "God Give Me Strength" --
where the sheer drama of a dramatic pause or a full-
voiced high note elicited spontaneous applause in the
middle of the song. Costello's face reddened from lost
breath in moments, and the knowledgeable fans gave
him his due. 
   Through the main set, the duo stuck to songs from
the new album, which also included the title track and
"This House Is Not a Home," a song they originally
performed on Bacharach's TNT special last spring (for
which Costello apologized for its roughness at the
time). For the encore, they offered a further taste of
what to expect in concert: a few hits from each artist's
past to fill out the show. So they gracefully eased into
Bacharach's "Make It Easy on Yourself," the oft-
covered tune first made famous by the Walker Brothers,
and Costello again wrapped his voice supply around
the melody, adding his own nuances. It was another
deliciously melodic three minutes, and it left fans
wondering how, on a rainy Saturday night, they could
be so lucky to see the opening performance of two
legends on one stage, collaborating for free. 

          -- John Bitzer