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The crowd had come to roar. They wore their "Elvis" buttons, lifted lighted matches and candles as he finished his numbers, and, at the end, even unfurled a bedsheet with "ELVIS" painted in large blue letters.
But the object of this adulation, the English rocker Elvis Costello, acknowledged his fans' worshipful energy at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic Saturday night only with his music.
Costello, who is making his first American tour in two years, gave the sellout crowd of almost 3,500 a forceful, fast-paced hour-and-a-half show featuring his songs of bitterness and anguish; he even came out for two encores. But his personality remained hidden behind the dark glasses he wore. He has gotten a reputation as a sullen performer, but on this night he simply appeared absorbed in his music.
Dressed in dark slacks and gray shirt, tie, and jacket — which was quickly soaked through with perspiration — the slight, dark-haired Costello addressed the audience only in brief mumbles, seemingly in a rush to get to his next number. But nobody seemed to mind. The crowd was constantly on its feet, swaying and clapping and surging down the aisles toward the stage.
Considering the first name Costello has adopted (his real name is Declan MacManus), it is ironic that physically he is the most unnatural of performers. His movements — whether making a fist or holding a hand to his head — are often out of synchronization with his intense, insistent singing. Yet, the slightest gesture, the briefest shuffle across the stage, brought whoops of delight from the audience. Perhaps it is that awkwardness, that uncertainty, mixed with the anger of his songs, that has struck a responsive chord in his young fans.
The biggest reactions Saturday night were to the faster songs he pounded out with his first-rate band, the Attractions. They included such old favorites as "Radio, Radio" and "Accidents Will Happen," as well as "Lovers Walk," with its echo of Bo Diddley. There was a somewhat milder response to the slow songs, such as "Shot With His Own Gun," with which Costello opened the show, and "She's Got You," an unexpected, almost charming version of the old country tune.
Costello has perhaps been more acclaimed by critics for his songwriting ability than for his performing; in just four years he has written a prodigious number of songs on his obsessive concern with the failure of human relationships, which he sees as a reflection of the failures of society. But on a rock stage, where sound precedes meaning, Costello also has a strong impact, and a large share of the credit must go to the Attractions, particularly the dynamic keyboard player, Steve Nieve. Bruce Thomas, the group's bass guitarist, at times steps up front to play lead to Costello's rhythm guitar. The third member of the trio is drummer Pete Thomas. On Saturday night the group was augmented for the last half of Costello's set by guitarist Martin Belmont and, for one of the encores, by Glenn Tilbrook, vocalist and lead guitarist for Squeeze, the English group which opened the concert.
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