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Back in the mid-1980s, Elvis Costello teased his fans by asking them to spin a giant wheel that would determine the setlist for a show.
The gimmick didn't sit well, at least at one show at Rutgers University, where audience members grew restless and Costello was sarcastic toward his young fans.
Yet Costello returned to the Spectacular Spinning Songbook shtick for The Revolver Tour, which came Tuesday night to Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank.
Would history repeat itself, with a draggy pace, an alienated audience and a snide performer? It didn't bode well.
Luckily, Costello re-invented the wheel.
Far more campy than it once was, and not at all condescending, the Spectacular Spinning Songbook has aged well. Audience members jumped at the chance to spin it, and they dutifully climbed into the accompanying go-go cage to dance to whatever song came up on the wheel.
Two lovely dancers, who served as Costello's game-show assistants, also gyrated in the cage and added energy and spunk to the show.
It also helped that Costello was in fine voice. He postponed his July 22 show at the Borgata in Atlantic City "due to illness," but he seemed hale and hearty in Red Bank. Backed by The Imposters — Steve Nieve, keyboards; Pete Thomas, drums; and Davey Faragher, bass and backing vocals — Costello ripped through many of the classics in his catalog, including "Chelsea," "This Year's Girl," "Veronica," "Alison," "I Want You," "Everyday I Write the Book," "Oliver's Army," "Waiting for the End of the World," "Pump It Up," "Big Sister's Clothes," "The Other Side of Summer" and Nick Lowe's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding."
He handled many covers with aplomb, working into the mix some Elvis Presley, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles and The Who. Most illuminating were Costello's versions of The Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing" and "Girl," which revealed his skill in bringing something new to such hallowed material.
Costello was cordial to the audience, sauntering up to the balcony so that even fans in the faraway seats could take a chance on the wheel. He even led the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" to one fan.
The concert moved along briskly, as Elvis Costello crammed music and humor into a spirited evening.
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