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Elvis Costello has come a long way since he burst on the scene 10 years ago. He is still going strong and Tuesday night he reaffirmed my belief that he's one of the best artists currently making music.
The show was billed as the Almost Alone tour because his old crony and producer Nick Lowe (producer of the first several Costello LPs and also the latest, Blood & Chocolate) opened. Both played solo — a hard thing to do when playing rock 'n' roll music.
Lowe, with acoustic guitar, played a small sampling of his excellent, large repertoire, including "Cruel To Be Kind," "When I Write The Book" and the dynamite "And So It Goes." His easygoing manner and smooth vocals quickly won over the crowd, yet I sensed that Lowe was uneasy as a solo artist; he has played bass in bands (Brinsley Schwarz, Rockpile and his own outfits), with other musicians to "fill in the parts." Nonetheless, Tuesday he put on a superb set.
Costello made his entrance to a pre-recorded tape of some bizarre music, with a small TV set to one side. (This remained on throughout the show; occasionally he would use it as a prop.) Using mostly acoustic guitar (he played electric guitar and piano twice each and used pre-recorded backup drum tracks on two songs), he proceeded to dazzle the audience.
Costello chose a wide variety of material. Solo, many became stark landscapes with raw nerve endings. From the dynamic opener, "Red Shoes," he went through charged emotional numbers ("Blood And Chocolate," "I Want You"), heated social blasts ("Green Shirt") and snappy rock 'n' roll tunes ("Radio Sweetheart"). His lyrics are art, his melodies superb.
Still, he included several songs by others. Often he went from his own tunes into them: "Double Dutch" into the Beatles' "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away," "Radio Sweetheart" into Van Morrison's "Jackie Wilson Said" (stunning renditions, with "Jackie" really involving the crowd.) He also did an incredible cover of a lesser-known Grateful Dead piece, "Ship of Fools." He was as adept at others' songs as his own.
Costello's musicianship was in great form, fleshing out the songs and making them sound like the masterpieces they are. His voice was an instrument itself, often suddenly going from a whisper to a scream. Moreover, his showmanship made the concert an engaging affair, balancing somber moments with sparkling wit.
He played two encores alone and then one with Lowe (Lowe's "What's So Funny About Peace, Love And Understanding," a song they've both recorded). Once, Costello left the stage as if the show was over, then came back in a red academic gown as Dr. Napoleon Dynamite with The Spinning Songbook, a wheel bearing the names of 36 songs he could perform. Choosing people from the audience (three pairs in all), he had them spin and decide which six songs would be played. It is amazing that a man who has written so many songs can remember them so well, even those 10 years old that he hasn't performed in ages. A fitting end to a rare event.
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