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They played tapes of accordion/tuba polkas during intermission.
That pretty much says it all about the Elvis Costello/Nick Lowe folk fest. But what was said was far less important than what was heard ... and seen at the San Jose Civic Auditorium on Thursday night.
Costello and Lowe (funny, it sounds like a vaudeville team) have always made a point of individuality, the former with his oblique and biting lyrical introspections and the latter with a post-rockabilly wit and charm.
Because the two chose to play acoustic versions of their hits on this tour, the folkish setting — with the whirling polkas thrown in — made their musical foibles and glories all the more affecting.
From Lowe's opening set, it was clear that the night would be different, perhaps exceptional. Singing and strumming "Too Many Teardrops" and "I Knew the Bride When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll" with the innocence and energy of the rockabilly heroes of yore, Lowe was an exuberant delight.
Odd to say, but in the acoustic, almost folksy setting, Lowe's material and presentation flourished. The various melodic accents that are often overpowered in his rock renditions were highlighted, and they pointed out why Lowe has always been a definite, if understated, force in pop.
Lowe left, and the polkas came on.
Costello followed with a set that was as tensely eccentric as is his usual wont. Opening an umbrella with a map of the world on it, he crooned "Welcome to My World," like a true Humperdinck.
He then presented a slide show of his "holiday" trips, which served as a focal point for the songs. He sang of a man who would be "king of America" and of a "ship of fools on a cruel sea."
He also sang a new piece about his grandfather in Dublin in 1916. And he sang an affectionate version of the Beatles' "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away." On each of these, his intensity was offset and accentuated by wacky schticks that were part of the set piece act.
Finally, he pulled out the "song wheel," a glittering device that members of the audience turned. Costello barked out encouragement like a game-show host. Costello, seated at a grand piano in the "society lounge," sang the "winner" for a lucky couple. "Almost Blue," was never more daffy ... and seductive.
At the end of the show, Costello brought the house down with "Get Happy," as the chords of his acoustic guitar slammed against the beat of mechanized drums. Costello and Lowe are uncommon pop performers. On this one night, they were simply uncommon-er.
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