Review of concert at Eugene, OR, Hult Center/Silva Concert Hall on 1999-05-27
Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve
- Zorn, Wilson (I) [Wilson.Zorn@adidasus.com]

 

Eugene, OR, Hult Center/Silva Concert Hall on 1999-05-27

 

 

A great show despite Elvis' sore throat (the next show may not be so great if he keeps belting them out despite his condition!), which was hardly noticeable and he mastered well. He did mention that he tailored the show in order to get through it and promised to come back and deliver the tunes he couldn't do last night - but it said it could be another 20 years before he gets back to Eugene.

In many ways this was what one would expect, which actually says a lot given that there's a high standard for this artist. Elvis was touching and funny (he did a good bit about Elvis Presley and called attention to Warner Brothers' not showing Buffy the Vampire Slayer to protect our youth while Charlton Heston displays guns) and seemed in a fairly jovial mood for the evening. How much of that was showmanship I don't know, since it can't be too pleasant to sing as powerfully as he does with a sore throat (hell, it's hard enough for me to get through a day of work when my throat bugs me!), but it does make the point forcefully that Elvis Costello is not merely a great songwriter but also a great entertainer. Steve Nieve provided a setting at times bombastic, his sort of usual hard-playing style. I wish I was more familiar with the Painted Memories album to compare his and Bacharach's playing in detail on those pieces. It was interesting to hear some of the earlier songs reworked slightly; nothing was dramatically changed but there were a few melodic twists and many changes in emphasis. Many songs remained almost completely intact in tone ("Chelsea" was as vicious as the original), some were emphasized in a more effective way ("Everyday I Write the Book" was not merely effectively spare but Elvis imbued it with the sadder tone it deserves), and others took on rich nuances not visible before ("Accidents Will Happen" shifted moods much more dramatically as did "Indoor Fireworks", and "Watching the Detectives" became a grueling dramatic tour-de-force with Nieve creating stormy piano work that brought out a lot more of the song). Elvis (with and without Steve) played for almost 2 hours, never wearing out his welcome. While I liked the arrangement a lot and found Steve's playing to complement Elvis effectively 90% of the time, they used a bass synth keyboard rather ineffectually (on the originally more commercial tunes, "Alison", "Everyday I Write the Book", little else) and in fact a bit distractingly as Steve would use it on one chorus then not use it the rest of the song. I can't tell if that was deliberate or if it is indicative of Steve Nieve's tendencies to follow his instincts somewhat whimsically.