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A single name kept popping up when Shannon McCormick talked to people about musical acts they'd like to see at the Center for the Arts.
The name was Elvis Costello. Of course McCormick agreed that Costello playing the intimate Center Theater would be a major get, but it also would be a hard sell.
"Obviously he doesn't run around playing very many 500-seaters," said McCormick, the Center for the Arts' programming director.
But the Center Theater will be one of them, thanks to the area's growing reputation for attracting well-known artists and also to a little tenacity on McCormick's part in convincing the artist that Jackson was worth the stop.
McCormick's first attempt to lure Costello to the Tetons was met with skepticism from the artist's management team.
"I think in the beginning it was met with, 'Excuse me? Did you say 500 seats?' " McCormick said. "My comeback was, 'Yes, we do only have 500 seats, but they are really nice seats.' "
It must have worked. Costello will perform at the Center Theater on Wednesday. The tickets, which cost $149 to $189, were nearly sold out by press time and might be gone by the time this paper hits the stands, McCormick said.
Costello's music resume spans more than 30 years, including performances with the Attractions and the Imposters and concert appearances with pianist Steve Nieve. He has collaborated with the Brodsky Quartet, Paul McCartney and T Bone Burnett. Johnny Cash, No Doubt and Chet Baker have recorded his songs, showing the breadth of his interest in musical styles. He's won a slew of awards and Grammy nominations, and along with the Attractions he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
"It's kind of a coup he's coming here," McCormick said. "It goes without saying this is a major league big artist in a room as small as ours. I would call him an icon."
McCormick credits Jackson's growing reputation as a community that supports and appreciates music and offers a small, yet incredible theater.
Larkin Poe will open for Costello. The rock duo is not to be missed, McCormick said.
"They are really cool," he said. "Get there early to see them."
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