San Francisco Chronicle, October 10, 1986

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Elvis Costello digs in for 3-night stand


Joel Selvin

The Elvis trilogy began with a relatively regulation rock concert Wednesday and continued last night with Part II, "The Spectacular Spinning Songbook," where members of the audience spun a giant wheel to determine what song he and his band would play.

Rather than whip through town playing a big concert at some outdoor facility, rock iconoclast Elvis Costello chose to book a three-night run at the Warfield Theater and perform a different show each night. The series closes tonight with Costello backed by a band composed of former members of another group led by another, more famous Elvis.

Wednesday's show served as a kind of introduction, as Costello and his drum-tight three-piece band, the Attractions, played a two-hour concert based largely on material from his new album, Blood & Chocolate, closing with a handful of encore selections chosen from audience requests.

Costello looked fit and trim and sounded especially passionate singing the dynamic, hard-bitten songs from his new record, the former angry young man's 13th LP, with his band providing letter-perfect accompaniment as he spat out his trademark tangle of tortured lyrics.

In between songs from the recent album, Costello and the Attractions interspersed golden oldies such as "The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes" and "Watching the Detectives," along with the occasional complete surprise like his version of the old Gerry & The Pacemakers hit, "Ferry Cross the Mersey."

From Blood & Chocolate, he performed the epic, apocalyptic "Tokyo Storm Warning," the acerbic "I Hope You're Happy Now," the whimsical "Honey, Are You Straight or Are You Blind?," and the powerful "I Want You," among others.

What would have been otherwise an excellent but ordinary Costello show was turned into a sort of set-up for the next two nights' punch lines, shows that will be attended by many of the people in Wednesday's crowd, to judge by the cheers in response to a query from Costello.

Costello himself seemed comparatively personable, given his customary taciturn manner, playing remarkable spastic guitar solos, leading the audience in a singalong on "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and even kidding with the crowd. "We do 'Yankee Rose' in the second half of the show," he lied, referring to a song by David Lee Roth that he definitely did not perform.

He did bring the concert to a close with an elongated high-voltage, explosive electric blast of squealing feedback.

Costello, too, appeared energized by the unusual format of the trilogy of concerts. With this tidy, incendiary conventional show behind him — and the mystery guests, solo interludes and other madness ahead — the fun could start.

Tomorrow: The Big Wheel and the Go-Go Cage.


Tags: Warfield TheatreSan FranciscoThe Attractions(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red ShoesWatching The DetectivesFerry 'Cross The MerseyGerry & The PacemakersBlood & ChocolateTokyo Storm WarningI Hope You're Happy NowHoney, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?I Want YouDon't Let Me Be MisunderstoodDavid Lee RothSpectacular Spinning SongbookHostage To Fortune Go-Go Cage

Copyright 1986 San Francisco Chronicle

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San Francisco Chronicle, October 10, 1986


Joel Selvin reviews Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Wednesday, October 8, 1986, Warfield Theatre, San Francisco.

Images

1986-10-10 San Francisco Chronicle page 79 clipping 01.jpg
Clipping.

Page scan.
1986-10-10 San Francisco Chronicle page 79.jpg

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