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He wears a gray suit two sizes too large. He's the leader of a four piece band that plays earsplitting rock 'n' roll. He played the Leona Theatre in Homestead this past Sunday. He could pass for Joe Paterno's younger brother. He is Elvis Costello.
The audience (stripped of cameras and tape recorders) ranged in ages from 18 to 28. They watched attentively as the bespectacled mini-man twitched about the stage pounding the same chords through their heads, off the walls, and back again.
During "I Don't Want To Go To Jail" the bass player wielded his instrument like it was a flame thrower, spraying the audience with sound. Meanwhile, the star removed the guitar around his neck and the microphone from the stand. He peered out into the audience, shading his eyes, staring for about thirty seconds, captivating the crowd. Then he sang softly and clearly; for the first time the lyrics became recognizable English. But clarity was soon wiped out with a roar from the crowd and a blare from the electric keyboards.
The walls trembled and the seats shook throughout "Little Triggers," "Lost in The Lipstick Vogue" and "This Year's Girl." The only time the titles were perceivable was when he announced them.
If you've heard about Elvis Costello and would like to see what he has to offer, borrow an album. His music was loud and powerful but boring. If his lyrics say anything relevant you couldn't tell it from his concert.
The only other time he displayed any showmanship was at the end of "Watching The Detectives." Guitarless, microphone in hand, he approached a staircase descending in front of the stage. He stepped down warily, one step at a time, catlike, until he reached the floor. Costello leaned on a white rail fence that encircled the front of the stage. Out of the depths of the shadows he sang "I only need to move my little finger to blow you all away."
After a round of cheers, the knock-kneed, pigeon-toed performer was back on stage rocking the balconies loose with "Radio, Radio" and beckoning the crowd to its feet for "Cough It Up." They remained standing as the ensemble left the stage but the cheering wasn't enthusiastic.
The first encore, "American Band," brought forth more noise than ever before. Again they left the stage and again no great roar from the crowd. Two matches glowed in the back of the auditorium, house lights flickered, and a tape of Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak" came over the public address system. Still no fanfare. A chant of "Elvis, Elvis" started in the upper balcony but it didn't catch on.
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