From: desmaral@ERE.UMontreal.CA ( Des Marais Luce )


As new to the list as to the Internet (hello everyone!), I had bought my
tickets for the Costello concert long before I first logged in and by pure
chance found this list, about a week ago.  Being, I realize now from your
posts, a rather ignorant - if enthusiastic - EC fan, it is with more than
a bit of self-consciousness that I submit as my first post (ever!) this
impressionistic review of his Montreal show (and ask for your forgiveness
for my non-native English!). BTW, thanks for the spoilers, AmadDogRby -
even though I hate to think of myself as an "anal Kingbuff"! :-)

Where were the Montreal fans on June 6 (Monday night)?  In fact, where 
were they for the past 10 years?  From the crowd's reactions, it sounded 
as though they had not followed EC too closely after PTC.  They certainly 
had not listened well to BY (IMHO)...  Less than 3,000 people showed up 
(the capacity of the Montreal Forum, as rearranged to be more intimate 
than for hockey games, being about 5,000) for EC's only concert in 16 
years (his previous visit dating back to Nov. 78):  many unsold tickets, 
scalpers desperate, and cheap tickets exchanged by officials inside the 
Forum for more expensive, better-seared ones (which last point was good 
for me but a shame!).

The Attractions, in keeping with the circus-quality of their name, got on 
stage with a bit of music by Nino Rota (from Fellini's 8 1/2 ?), and EC 
opened up with No Action.  To bad for those missing:  he delivered an 
absolutely masterful performance, stringing song after song almost 
without pause for about 2 hrs, mocking, angry, seductive, intense, 
playful. Not chatty though:  he spoke about 4 words of French 
("Bonsoir!", "Comment ca va?", "Merci"), which was very appreciated, and 
probably no more in English in between all songs.  Everything in the 
virtuoso rime, in the music, he seemed to be implying.

Indeed, it was great art and great rock.  Having never seen him perform, 
what impressed me the most was his voice and singing -- on top of having 
this wonderful, strong and unusual voice, he must have a hell of a 
technique to do what he did.  And his guitar-playing!  Yet I had the 
unpleasant impression that people were mostly nostalgic, and only stopped 
reacting just politely when he gave us Watching the Detectives and a few 
other oldies.

But HE was NOT nostalgic.  His creativity is obviously overflowing as 
ever. Besides, maybe that's one of the advantages "nerd rockers" (cf. 
Boojum's post of June 8)[*] have over "regular" (or should we call them 
jock?) rockers:  having never been graceful, they can age just so.  
Anyway, Long live the King!

Luce
desmaral@ere.umontreal.ca

[*] BTW, why is that bad?  Personally, I rather like this gangling, 
dressed-up librarian look, sort of a crossover between my first love, 
Woody Allen, and Buddy Holly... ;-)