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Born in London, Declan MacManus was the son of a jazz trumpeter who sang with the Joe Loss Orchestra and who later performed as a solo cabaret act. The youth's first broadcast recording was with his father on a 1974 television commercial. Also in 1974, the son formed a pub rock band called Flip City, which remained active until 1976. As a solo artist renamed Elvis Costello, he became associated with the first wave of the British punk and new wave movement that emerged in the mid-to-late seventies. His debut album was released in 1977, after which he formed a backing band and became Elvis Costello & the Attractions until 1986; the band reunited briefly several times in subsequent years. Formed in 2001, Elvis Costello & the Imposters presently consists of two former Attractions, pianist Steve Nieve, and drummer Pete Thomas, plus bassist Davey Faragher. Costello and the Attractions were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and Costello was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2019 for services to music. Recording rock, country, jazz, and classical music throughout his career, Costello returned to pop with his 25th and most recent album, Look Now, released on October 12, 2018.
Co-headlining with Blondie at Forest Hills Stadium, Costello and the Imposters performed only two songs from his most recent album; the rest of the concert pivoted largely on his best known and most rocking songs. Many of these songs were from his punk rock period in the late nineteen-seventies; Costello tempered his anger in the early eighties, so the vintage songs were given a lighter tone but were nevertheless built for rocking. The set began with "Pump It Up," and Costello did just that. He continued with signature songs until he introduced a newer song he co-wrote with Burt Bacharach, "Photographs Can Lie," followed by "Mr. & Mrs. Hush," a song he said he wrote for a forthcoming musical.
While Costello's crooning was executed well, he temporarily seemed to lose his audience with these bland mainstream endeavors. "Watching the Detectives" re-engaged the audience, as did "Everyday I Write the Book," where Kitten Kuroi and Briana Lee moved from their back-up vocalist positions to flank Costello center stage in soulful call-and-response singing. Much of the concert featured close-up footage and clever graphics on large screens, reaching a peak with the night-closing song, a cover of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," which was accompanied in part by a slide show of Costello's family members in military uniform. Costello can record all the pop, country, and jazz albums he wants, but the public demonstrated that what they craved most was Costello the rocker.
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