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It seems incongruous, now that he has been delving into relatively complicated, serious songwriting, that Elvis Costello's tours take the seasonal route of big outdoor venues.
Smaller theaters may be better settings for his increasingly rich music. But he and his Rude 5 apparently had a good time last time out on this circuit, so here was Costello once more, for a wide-ranging, two-hour set Wednesday at Lake Compounce Festival Park in Bristol.
Sporting a beard, pony tail, sunglasses and a few more pounds (or an old suit that made him look so), the man of many guises took on the persona of the traveling roadhouse musician, throwing in as many obscure blues, country and jazz songs as he did selections from his new album, Mighty Like a Rose.
Compared with other artists on the seasonal stage who provide note-perfect renditions of their records, Costello truly represented "The Other Side of Summer" — to name his current Beach Boy Bizzaro single that turned more stately in a folk-rock concert version.
He was so relaxed with his band, he often attempted to change arrangements mid-song (as in the constantly shifting "Veronica") or threw in surprises here and there — an r&b version of the obscure Beatles cover "Leave My Kitten Alone" during an equipment change.
Some rarely performed obscurities from his own vast catalog emerged as well, including "Suit of Lights" from King of America. A few verses of "I Want You" finished off an intense "So Like Candy." He even quoted his own "Less Than Zero" during the long "God's Comic" rap.
Although original Attractions drummer Pete Thomas had a garbage can set up as part of his kit, there was less of the bold experimenting from the band this summer;
exploratory guitarist Marc Ribot favored traditional blues solos.
A high point of the show was when Costello took to the piano for one of his newest and best songs, "Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4," which was interrupted with a wild time change.
Despite the artistry, the beer-drinking college audience kept yelling for "Pump It Up." He gave it to them, finally, in the third encore, along with a strong new arrangement of "Alison," the song that set his aim so true 14 years ago.
In their 45-minute opening set, the Replacements were probably a better example of sheer, joyously ragged rock 'n' roll.
At their best, they tore through great, ringing anthems, balanced with poignant ballads.
Unlike the last time they opened a show at Lake Compounce (for Tom Petty), the band seemed somewhat renewed and ready for action. And though they played only a few chords of oddball covers from the days when their shows were drunken free-for-alls ("Flashlight," anyone?), they did include tasty covers from artists as divergent as the Only Ones, the Dave Clark 5 and Nanci Griffith.
Their 10-song set closed with the unbeatable combination of "Left of the Dial" followed by "Alex Chilton." Still, there was no encore.
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