Sometimes, the plain and simple approach is best.
That's the road Elvis Costello took Thursday night at Blossom Music Center, where the English singer-guitarist reunited with his old band the Attractions and rocked it with them old-style straightforward and hard.
Costello was here to get down to business, and that's what he did. His show was a very consistent interpretation of his old and new music.
"It's been a long while since these gentleman and I have stood before you," Costello said to the relatively small crowd of 6,500, referring to the Attractions (Pete Thomas on drums, Steve Nieve on keyboards and Bruce Thomas on bass).
The cranking Costello and the Attractions proved they're still a good cohesive unit, regardless of whether they were exposing new songs or reviving oldies such as "Watching the Detectives," "Red Shoes" or "Veronica."
It was good to hear Costello scream out the roaring "Radio, Radio," a song he was told not to sing on Saturday Night Live 17 years ago but sang anyway.
Costello may have leaned a little too heavily on cuts from his new Brutal Youth release, however. But that was excusable.
Brutal Youth is a pretty good effort from Costello. The best Brutal Youth cuts hold up nicely against Costello classics. So highlighting album cuts "London's Brilliant Parade" (which pays homage to his hometown), "Still Too Soon to Know," "Kinder Murder," "Clown Strike," and the single "13 Steps Lead Down" was OK.
During the new cut "This is Hell," Costello was drenched in a red spotlight that made him appear demonic. Shortly afterward, the entire stage was bathed in red.
Later, during the sinister-sounding new cut "Clown Strike," Nieve served up some pretty wicked keyboards, which was followed by a powerful bass solo from Costello at song's end.
With his dated black suits and trademark glasses, both present Thursday night, Costello has always come off pretty much the nerd.
He doesn't give too much to look at in concert and didn't try to compensate for that with the distraction of an elaborate set.
Don't let the name of opening band Crash Test Dummies fool you.
They're not just some punksters, as the name might imply. They're not punks at all.
The Crash Test Dummies are actually smart folkish rockers with a style all their own, thanks mostly to the highly distinctive vocals of lead singer Brad Roberts.
His baritone is so rich and deep, it sounds almost unnatural, and luscious songs such as "God Shuffled His Feet," "Superman's Song," "How Does a Duck Know?" and "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" showcased it just right.
That last song, a melancholy sing-along smash, is a current MTV favorite and a recent top 10 pop record.
Also noteworthy during the Crash Test Dummies' almost 45-minute set was Benjamin Darvill, an odd-looking character who played mandolin and harmonica.
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