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Imagine if Elvis Costello had come along in 1967 rather than 1977, a singer-songwriter instead of a punk. He would probably still be in exactly the same place today.
Punk gave the angry young Costello a contextual framework that saved him from turning into Jackson Browne. But it didn't keep him from turning into Randy Newman, nor did it prevent the "Elvis Costello" character he created from hardening into a caricature. So he began mutating almost immediately.
Countless mutations later, Costello is still making records for a steadily shrinking audience and playing sheds for smallish crowds who are more interested in his oldies. There are better fates, but worse ones, too.
Saturday night at Walnut Creek, only about 5,000 folks turned out to hear Costello. Still in all, it was a good night — two hours and 28 songs, plus an unexpected bonus in the Crash Test Dummies' half-hour opening set.
Dummies frontman Brad Roberts has a basso profundo voice about three octaves south of a frog's croak, and a droll onstage manner best described as an unctuous FM deejay on acid. He's also got a way with maddening hooks. "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm," one of the flukiest hit singles of all time, was still bouncing around in my head an hour after they played it. No telling what twisted career fate awaits this band, but they were fun.
Costello seemed to be in high spirits, probably due to Ireland's upset victory over Italy earlier Saturday in World Cup soccer play (he came onstage waving a green banner). This is Costello's first tour with his backup band the Attractions since 1986, and in many ways it seemed just like old times: rock rock rock.
All sharp edges and jarring tones, Costello and band produced an angular, barely controlled roar. New songs like "Kinder Murder" (with a fuzz-toned guitar worthy of Kurt Cobain himself) are the closest Costello has ever come to grunge, and fit right in with 1978-vintage ravers like the one-two show-starting punch of "No Action" and "The Beat."
But the pace was varied, too, with slower interludes to break up the fist-wavers. The very Kinks-like "London's Brilliant Parade" was wonderful, as was the torchy ballad "Still Too Soon to Know."
After all these years, there's still nobody who sounds better with Costello than keyboardist Steve Nieve. They both played a continuing game of "spot the source" throughout the show. During "Clown Strike," Nieve worked in a flourish from Julie Andrews' "My Favorite Things," which led into the riff from "Tequila." A couple of songs later, they also threw a verse of the Drifters' "On Broadway" into the middle of a proto-metal version of "Clubland."
Even better was "Alison," offered up during the second of three encores. The song's "My aim is true" outro segued into a couple of Smokey Robinson chestnuts, "The Tracks of My Tears" and "The Tears of a Clown." Then they brought it full-circle, segueing back into Costello's own "Clowntime Is Over."
Brilliant.
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