Review of concert from 2002-10-26: Washington, DC, DAR Constitution Hall - with Imposters
- Lee Lovingood

 

A Day of Peace, Love And Understanding

Elvis Costello and the Imposters
DAR Constitution Hall
Washington, DC
October 26, 2002

What started out as a foggy and cool morning in Washington DC turned out to be a beautiful day. My wife and I had arrived the night before, and the morning of the twenty-sixth, rode the Metro to the Smithsonian Station in the heart of DC. We were headed to the protest rally near the White House, along with thousands of others. The air was charged with the voices of people from all walks of life, of all ages, speaking their minds against a unilateral, pre-emptive war with Iraq. It was a wonderful prelude to the Costello show that was to take place later that evening.

We arrived at the DAR Constitution Hall around six that evening, our legs and feet aching from hours of marching around the White House, and hung around the stage door hoping to meet Elvis. We did not get the chance; but we did converse with some of the road crew, who were very friendly.

The doors opened at seven, and the music began promptly at eight with openers NRBQ. They put on a good show, and are a talented band, but not exactly our cup of tea.

The lights went down for the second time around nine, and we were treated to a yodeling version of The William Tell Overture. Elvis and the boys mounted the stage: Steve and Dave had gotten haircuts since we saw them in Portsmouth, Virginia a few months earlier, and Steve was wearing a black T-shirt with the words NO WAR emblazoned on the chest in big, white letters for everyone to see. This brought an immediate positive reaction from the crowd. The band took their places and immediately began to captivate the audience with I Hope You're Happy Now. The wife and I were very happy, and we settled in to be entertained. We were not disappointed. I have been going to Elvis shows since the Armed Forces tour, and this was one of the best ever.

The rockin' Tear Off Your Own Head immediately followed I Hope You're Happy Now, and following that, the opening strains of Party Girl brought me to my feet. It has always been one of my favorite earlier tracks, and it was executed magnificently. Elvis and the band were in top form.

Elvis spoke at length for the first time during their performance of Spooky Girlfriend, as he commented on the resplendent beauty of the hall and proclaimed that we had a rare opportunity in history that evening to summon the spirits of the spooky girlfriends of the revolution. He then encouraged audience participation on the chorus.

(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea and 45 followed in quick succession, and then I was brought to my feet again as Pete heralded the performance of New Lace Sleeves, another of my favorites. This drifted almost unnoticeably into Green Shirt, which I had not seen performed live since the Armed Forces tour. It was very nice.

Elvis then strapped on the acoustic guitar for a number of songs, namely Brilliant Mistake, 15 Petals, The Judgment, I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down, Man Out of Time and Indoor Fireworks. The performance of I'll Wear it Proudly brought a dead silence to the hall when Elvis performed the last verse with a muted guitar and a whispered voice. It was so reverently quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. From there they launched into Girls Talk (Elvis still on acoustic), Tart (with more audience participation) and Deep Dark Truthful Mirror/You really Got a Hold on Me. It was then that the band took a brief break, and was back onstage within four minutes for the first encore.

Elvis opened the first encore by explaining that if you stole a copy of the Coen Brothers Movie The Big Lebowski from Blockbuster, played it at full volume on your surround-sound system, you might just hear the song that he contributed to it, and then proceeded to rock through My Mood Swings. That was followed by the country version of Complicated Shadows and a medley consisting of Alison/He'll Have to Go/Suspicious Minds. They then broke, and returned in short order for the second encore.

The second encore, to me at least, was a statement of sorts in the same vein as Steve's T-shirt. There were three songs, the first being Alibi, which gave the audience a third chance of the evening to participate in the chorus. The two songs that followed really matched the sentiments of the day - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding (for which the band received a standing ovation), followed by Shipbuilding, on which Steve performed an inspired solo. Elvis concluded Shipbuilding by reciting the first line from Radio Silence. There was another brief pause while the band prepared for the third encore.

The third encore opened with a dedication. Elvis explained that earlier in the day, they had been doing a sound check in the hall, and were playing Larry Williams' Slow Down. The members of NRBQ had enjoyed it so much that they suggested they play it in the show. So they did. This was followed by Radio Radio, Pump it Up and the show closer Leave My Kitten Alone.

The wife and I headed for the exit, hoping again to meet Elvis. Even though we were the first ones to arrive and the last ones to leave, we never got the chance. One day…..

All in all, it was an entire day of Peace, Love and Understanding in the beautiful capital of the United Stated of America. As we trudged our way back to the Metro station, we felt saddened that the day had ended.