Review of concert at 1999-10-30: Orlando, FL, Hard Rock Live
Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve
- K.G. Miller [miller@spacey.net]

 

Review - Orlando 30 Oct 99

***************************************************************************************************************

Elvis is a consummate performer; an artist in every sense of the word. He played his heart out for nearly 3 solid hours, along with one of the original Attractions, Steve Nieve on grand piano, assisted by electronically generated bass and percussion, at Hard Rock Live, Universal Studios Citywalk in Orlando -- a rather intimate 3,000 seat venue.

Starting with "Alibi Factory" on an unlit stage, Costello held the audience mesmerized with a seemingly perfect mix of new material and a list of early classics spanning his accomplished career. Returning to the stage for 5 encore performances, one could tell he relished the spotlight, yet he without too much ego, demonstrated by gestures during the lyric "...I wore a drunk's red nose for applause...." in the song "God's Comic" humorously egging the audience to clap, toward the end of the main performance.

An attentive audience of twenty to fifty-somethings followed closely, and as they interacted, chanting "I don't want to go to Chelsea...." you could picture the early new wave garb some likely sported 20 years ago.

You can say one thing about Elvis Costello: his distinctive baritone voice is evoking as it is smooth. For every venture into the abstract of complex lyric and melody, he offered a conventional "safe zone" like 1960's Burt Bacharach tune "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" that caught some by surprise, and a few Costello-Bacharach collaborative works.

The tune "45" is purported to be autobiographical, as Declan Patrick MacManus (his given name) was born August, 45 years ago in London.

He returned to the stage for no less than five encores, in the first, introducing surprise guest, ex-Byrd Roger McGuinn, who borrowed EC's Lennon-esque Rickenbacker 6-string for a short, ad lib performance of McGuinn's work, including "So You Wanna Be a Rock-n-Roll Star" and "Mr. Tambourine Man." It would come as no surprise if this was McGuinn's first appearance in some time, as he seemed slightly nervous. And while Costello has improved with age, McGuinn just seemed aged.

There was no doubt this crowd came to see Elvis Costello. When EC and Nieve returned for the remaining encores they "pumped it up" well, belting out the punchy versions of "Watching the Detectives," "Red Shoes" and "Radio Radio" without the benefit of a full band. One lone female fan slipped by security, making her way on stage to plant a kiss on EC before she was escorted off by stage hands.

You could call it unexpected, but the night culminated with an a cappella ballad "Couldn’t Call It Unexpected (No.4)" as Elvis stepped away from the microphone and sang emotionally to each side of the stage with true conviction. With the exception of being cued to hum a chorus, the crowd remained politely silent, until one audience member summed it up with "Oh my God... Elvis, you're unbelievable...."

Before leaving stage, he took the time to mingle with the audience, and autographed books, music, and even a pair of red shoes.