|
If you're wondering what all the commotion was last Friday night, around 10:30 at the Berkeley Community Theatre, let me fill you in. Elvis Costello played a very brief concert — his set time was 45 minutes — and the disgruntled crowd, who weren't even treated to an encore, burnt some posters on the steps of the theatre. Reportedly, someone threw a brick through Elvis's touring bus window as well. Later that same night, when two members of Costello's band showed up at the Mabuhay club, some of the patrons debated asking them for refunds.
Yet, the next night the English ex-computer programmer played well over an hour, coming back for one encore. Elvis Costello is just living up to his reputation.
From the start of his career, the diminutive singer has done everything his way, on the advice of his manager. He does almost no interviews, radio spots, and when he performed on Saturday Night Live he stopped midway into a song and started another. Still, he gets more publicity than most of his English counterparts. All the world loves a mystery and all that.
On his first record, My Aim Is True, Elvis captured the American ear with songs like "Alison" (which Linda Ronstadt had a hit with), "Watching The Detectives," and "Mystery Dance." With his next record, This Year's Model, he came closer to achieving that big gold record that means everything in this business, breaking "Radio, Radio" nationally.
Now, touring to promote his newest LP, Armed Forces, Elvis is close to selling over 500,000 units, the jackpot. Elvis fans tend to prefer the first two records, but Armed Forces has just as many strong, angry, biting songs, such as "Two Little Hitlers," "Goon Squad," and "Accidents Will Happen."
At Saturday's concert he played the entire third album plus a few songs off the last two including "Watching The Detectives," "Lipstick Vogue," and "Pump It Up." Near the end of the set he mouthed "Get Up!" and the audience obeyed obediently, remaining on their feet for the rest of the show.
Elvis and his band, the Attractions played exquisitely, in perfect symphony with each other. Elvis's vocals were emotionless, as they are on record, and his guitar playing flawless. The songs slammed right into each other, without even a falter in between. So why was the show about as exciting to a trip to the library?
It wasn't always this way. On his first couple of tours of this country Costello imbued his performances with barely controlled frenzy like someone just about to dip over the edge. It was tremendously exciting. He held most everything in disdain, including the press, and one of his thugs beat up my photographer when he tried to get a shot backstage.
Now his shows are too restrained, too controlled, even though they are still enjoyable.
|
