NIAGARA FALLS — It's hard to believe something as terrible as Hurricane Katrina can give us something as great as what we saw at the Avalon Ballroom this weekend.
There are a lot of ways to describe the three-hour classic Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint put on Friday night (and repeated Saturday), but "stirring" fits the bill best. Nearly a year after the flood, it wasn't just a tribute to New Orleans' spirit, it was a celebration of great music.
It's certainly on the short list of greatest concerts at the two-year-old Avalon, which rarely sees a work-out like this. Where most casino shows are ending after 90 minutes, Costello and Toussaint were still warming up. The encore alone was nearly an hour.
Longtime Costello fans knew this was special. After The Big Easy was devastated, Costello rekindled his partnership with New Orleans R&B great Toussaint for a series of benefit shows last year. It led to the superb new album The River In Reverse, and the subsequent tour is something to savour.
In addition to Costello singing several Toussaint gems like "Freedom For the Stallion" and "Nearer To You," his own songs get punchy new arrangements. Even if you've heard "Pump It Up" a thousand times, hearing it with a genuine New Orleans horn section is spectacular.
The night started like a typical Elvis Costello show — he sauntered out in his black duds, strapped on the guitar and ripped into a terrific "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" But when pianist Toussaint and his Crescent City Horns arrived, it became a completely different show. The Avalon started hopping to a funky "Monkey to Man," followed by the slow-burn groove of "On Your Way Down" off the new album.
In-between those soulful surprises, Costello mixed it up with the casino crowd.
"I can see a few naked people," he cracked. "I figure they lost their shirts already."
Later, he thanked them for letting him play so long: "Just look at it as time you're not losing money."
But it was also a show of big mood swings, as Costello reminded everyone it was "a bad-tempered lady named Katrina" and "a nincompoop named incompetence" which reunited him with Toussaint. Costello's anger on songs like "Broken Promise Land" and "The River in Reverse" was amplified live.
The Bush-bashing was kept to a minimum, however (which is somewhat surprising — you'd think Costello would cut loose in the safe confines of Canada). The only presidential ribbing was when he pointed to his "only prop" — a George Bush action figure he named "Junior."
"I think that's actual size."
Costello could have understandably packed it in after two hours. Instead, he returned for an encore which started acoustically, peaked with Little Richard's jubilant "Slippin' and Slidin'," and ended with with the sweet, soulful Costello/Toussaint anthem "The Sharpest Thorn."
"Allen's written 450,000 songs, and I've written 350,000," he said down the stretch. "I'm catching up with him."
He could have played them all Friday. Which Elvis is The King again?
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