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The Mud Island Amphitheater can seat a crowd of approximately 5,000 people.
Only about half that many (about 2,300) got to see Elvis Costello and the Attractions — not to mention Nick Lowe and his Cowboy Outfit — perform last night.
That means that the people who didn't attend the concert made a big mistake.
The musicians put on an electrifying concert of songs. The performers and their bands were dynamic.
The Liverpool-born Costello was around long before videos. It was amazing that more people didn't turn out to hear him perform. Costello, in his sunglasses, pink jacket, black slacks and ubiquitous red shoes, is a cool performer.
The Eurythmics, who performed recently and put on a good show, shined white light into the faces of the audience. This was neat. But Costello did the same thing — only his light was green. The stage — and probably the members of the audience — were bathed in green. This was a lot cooler than the Eurythmics.
His music, in addition to his stage effects, was a treat. He opened his segment of the concert with the rousing "Let Them All Talk" and continued almost non-stop with a long list of songs.
He performed the searing "Possession," the jumping "The Greatest Thing" and the somewhat-ominous sounding "The Greatest Thing."
A crowd suddenly rushed toward the stage — but not on the stage — during "Temptation." It looked like a rock and roll frenzy, but the fans apparently just wanted to get closer to the music —and Costello.
"I Wanna Be Loved" and "Sour Milk-Cow Blues" were two of the standouts of the evening.
Costello also performed some songs for his namesake. For instance, Elvis Presley's "His Latest Flame" was performed following Costello's current hit and video, "The Only Flame in Town."
The concert was much more enjoyable than Costello's concert last year at Mud Island. Hopefully, his shows will be an annual event.
Nick Lowe and his Cowboy Outfit should be featured in a show of their own. The musician, who last played in Memphis at the now defunct Madison House, performed a sizzling set. His impressive band, Martin Belmont on lead guitar, Paul Carrack on keyboards and Bobby Irwin on drums, was outstanding. Carrack performed a great rendition of his song, "How Long Has This Been Going On."
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