From: BruceW8940@aol.com


Elvis played Atlanta last night.  I dearly wish I could say it was the
experience of a lifetime, but I can't.  And it's not Elvis' fault.

Chastain Amphitheater where Elvis played is a peculiar Atlanta institution.
 At some point in its history, Chastain became the trendy place to go for
concerts.  Yuppies frequent the facility, which usually brings dinosaur bands
like the Moody Blues, Santana, etc.  There's nothing wrong with those bands,
but everything is wrong with the crowd that frequents Chastain.  

Basically, they couldn't care less about the music.  The emphasis is on
atmosphere.  They bring picnic baskets with gourmet food, candleabras,
candles, wine, etc. and set up tables in the narrow aisles and have a party.
 They don't care who's playing.  They don't care if the people next to them
do care.  They are rude, shallow, inconsiderate and loud.  VERY loud.  They
congregate in the aisles and talk.  They talk on cellular phones.  They
conduct business deals.  There's even a message facility to they can get
calls from the office or clients. They chatter all through the show.  And
they did all of this during Elvis.

It was like listening to Elvis play in a department store during a very big
sale.  The night started off badly when we paid $4.00 to park and all the
spaces were taken up, causing a huge backlog of cars unable to back-up to
find another place.  We finally parked in the road, as did those around us.
 And as we left, they were still waving cars into the lot!

Then we went to get our seats.  I had been advised by the facility when I got
my tickets that I had eighth row center seats.  In fact, we were a couple of
hundred feet from the stage.  If you held your hand up at arms length and
look at your little finger extended, that's how big Elvis was.  My wife was
devastated as I had told her how great our seats were going to be.

Then the Crash Test Dummies came out.  My wife's observations were very
accurate.  After twenty minutes she said that they had to have been on for an
hour and why didn't they go?  She also made the humorous observation that
they sounded "like that kid named Froggy in the Little Rascals got a band
together and he decided to be the lead singer."  And, of course, having heard
the band on the radio, which means they must be good, the crowd cheered
enthusiastically, but only for the songs they had heard on the radio, which
must be good because they were on the radio.

At 9:00 p.m. Elvis hit the stage.  If I had been able to hear his guitar, it
would have been a thrilling moment.  While the CTD's had good volume, it had
been turned down for Elvis because Chastain is in a suburban neighborhood.  I
had to strain to realize I was hearing "No Action."  He was in good form,
although I've seen him better, but still it was a thrill to see him tear it
up onstage.  Except I couldn't really hear him.  Fortunately, this was not a
problem for the people to my left, who were busy divying out food, pouring
wine, discussing business and standing in the aisle blocking the view for
those behind them.  As they got drunker, they got louder.  When Elvis sang a
quiet song, all I could hear was the conversation beside me and the dull roar
of other conversations in the amphitheater.  I stood to tell the people
beside us to SHUT THE F*** UP! when my wife, sensing trouble, immediately
asked them to please be quiet.  They looked confused, calmed down for a few
minutes and ACTUALLY WATCHED THE SHOW.   But then it was time for dessert,
and they got loud again.  And I got so depressed, ya'll, I got so depressed..

The crowd got into the show towards the end, at least the people in front of
the stage were out of their seats and dancing during "Watching The
Detectives, "13 Steps Lead Down", and "Radio Radio."  We also got the three
encores with a rousing "Pump It Up" finale.  The idiots next to us even stood
and danced, almost spilling their wine in the process.

I looked forward to that concert for weeks--no, months.  I savored my wife
seeing EC for the first time, and with the Attractions to boot.  And Elvis?
 Well, he tried.  He wasn't very playful, I think because he seemed to be
inconveniencing the conversations of those in the crowd.  He worked hard for
a very unappreciateive audience, except for those at the very back sitting on
the grass, who had to be the real fans or they wouldn't have sat in such a
lousy location.  And now for the capper:

I took today off from the record store where I work because my wife wanted us
to sleep late Monday and enjoy the day together.  And yes, Elvis Costello
came in the store where I work today, the day I wasn't there.  Sigh.  In a
year, this will be funny.  Right now, I guess I'm sharing my misery with
those who might understand the level of disappointment I've experienced over
the last twenty-four hours.    Oh heck, it's starting to get funny already.  

Oh, yea--he said as a tribute to the Atlanta show being the last of the
American tour, he would sing a special song.  Accompanied only by Steve Nieve
on organ and over the dull roar of an asshole crowd, he sang a beautiful and
moving "Favourite Hour."