Boston University Daily Free Press, October 24, 2002

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Even after decades, still the coolest guy in the room


Daily Free Press Admin

"It was so much easier," Elvis Costello remarks on the title track of his latest album, "…when I was cruel." While this may be true, Costello's return to Boston Monday night for a sold out Orpheum appearance was cause for throngs of gray-haired, 40-something, Dockers-clad ex-punks to revisit a time when they were cool. Nonetheless, for those who rocked along with Costello in the early 80s and for those college students just discovering his music today, the show was an excellent chance to catch one of the few artists clever enough to climb gracefully out of punk rock's stifling shackles. For years, Costello has smartly combined the traditional songwriting craft of Cole Porter with the snotty swagger of Johnny Rotten.

Costello, buoyed by his critically acclaimed return to rock, seized control of the stage like it was still 1977, leading his band, The Imposters, into a fiery rendition of "I Hope You're Happy Now." Before the crowd could recover from the garage rock stomping and seething sarcasm, the band went directly into "Tear Off Your Own Head (Doll Revolution)," a new song that proves Elvis hasn't gone soft with age. "Don't let anybody tell you how to live your life!" he declares in the second verse – a declaration fitting for Costello, who has made a career of defying genres and switching speeds in the face of critics and purists who have always attempted to slap him with one label or another.

This willingness to explore different styles has made for an eclectic catalog of albums over the years, many of which Costello tapped into during the show. Costello's fascination with Motown – the inspiration for 1980's Get Happy – surfaced with solid performances of "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" and "High Fidelity." From the Motor City, Costello transitioned smoothly into Nashville-esque country ballads such as "Indoor Fireworks," as well as into straightforward rockers like "Honey Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?" and "Girls Talk."

With black suit and orange-tinted horn rim glasses, Costello looked sharp; a plumper yet still recognizable version of his classic look from the cover of 1977's My Aim Is True. Though he did reach far back into the vaults for edgier tunes like "Pump It Up" and the classic reggae-flavored "Watching The Detectives," Costello has always been a reluctant punk rocker at best. While groups like The Buzzcocks and Sex Pistols were screaming over the same three chords, Costello was creating catchy melodies and using them to showcase his brilliant, if sometimes bitter, poetic wordplay. For this reason, his finest moments came in the more subdued, though no less passionate, performances of songs like "Man Out of Time" and "New Lace Sleeves."

Ultimately, Costello maintains that he wants to be known for his songwriting more than anything-perhaps as a sort of Burt Bacharach for the computer generation. A song like "Alison," brought out in the first encore, sounds today like a pop standard that may eventually be sung in airport bars alongside classics like "My Funny Valentine." In a clever nod to another famous guy named Elvis, a verse of "Suspicious Minds" was inserted as the song came to a close.

After the rousing anti-BBC anthem "Radio, Radio," the show came to a close with two gorgeous ballads, the slightly creepy "I Want You," and the mournful "Almost Blue," the latter leaving the crowd so awestruck Costello could have sung the last verse without a microphone. As the houselights dimmed and a single orange spotlight illuminated his face, Costello crooned the final notes and left the stage, leaving the crowd still hungry for more. Cruel? Well what did you expect?

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The Daily Free Press, October 24, 2002


The Daily Free Press Admin reviews Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Monday, October 21, 2002, Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA.


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