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Standing on stage like a deranged cherub who escaped from choir practice just in the nick of time, Elvis Costello — this year's model — assaulted the mind and the Dallas Convention Center Theater Tuesday night.
This year's model Costello is sleeker and slightly more luxurious than its predecessors. But that's what a Top 20 album will do for you.
The sports coat looks tailored instead of tattered. The pants reach the ankles. The red guitar that looked like it came from a pawn shop on the wrong side of town made only a brief appearance. Most of the time Costello attacked a pearl handled Stratocaster.
And, yes, as most everyone has said by now the music is slightly more complex, much more sophisticated. And I'm not sure I like it like that. I think I preferred Elvis Costello when he lunged directly at you. Now he's circling around from behind.
The paranoia, and the nihilism is still there in large enough doses to make Nietzsche proud. In "The Beat" he sings, "I don't wanna be your lover, I just wanna be your victim."
"Less Than Zero" is definitely more appealing with a pronounced reggae beat, and one of his new songs, "Green Shirt," is one of his best. But too much of the new stuff sounds like art rock as performed by Question Mark & the Mysterians. And does "Watching the Detectives" really need six minutes to get its message across? I think not.
Where Costello excels is the frontal attack, the maneuver he employed on the excellent "Pump It Up," which closed the regular portion of the show. (Costello did return this time to perform an encore, a distinctly unmemorable "You Belong To Me.")
I will admit this Costello seemed tired during the first three numbers. "Accidents Will Happen," the concert's opening song, seemed particularly tame. Costello has recorded three albums in 18 months (for point of reference, all of Costello's albums have been recorded since Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles recorded their last albums) and he toured extensively with each release. The man has a definite right to be tired.
But his band, The Attractions, was in top form throughout the show. It was only Costello that seemed to drag too often during his 56-minute performance.
The most pleasant surprise of the evening was the opening act, four zanies out of Berkeley, Calif., grouped together as The Rubinoos. These characters took aim and blasted every rock cliche in the book. My favorite was their hard rock number, something called "Rock 'n' Roll Is Dead and I Don't Care." It was hilarious, with the lead guitar player leaping around the stage like a lead-footed Ted Nugent one minute and sticking out his tongue like an anemic Gene Simmons of Kiss the next.
These guys even made fun of "a medley of our hit," saying it sounded "like sissy disco music." They played The Beatles' "Please Please Me" and The Ventures' "Walk Don't Run," with every little mannerism of both groups carefully, but subtly caricatured.
I don't know how all this transfers to record, but I definitely would like to see The Rubinoos in concert again and soon.
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