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Elvis did not want to leave the building.
Rocker Elvis Costello, touring in support of his new album, Look Now, performed three encores in a nearly three hour set Nov. 6 at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park.
"This is a serious, sad song and we're going to say goodnight with this one I think," said Costello late into the show while introducing "Stripping Paper."
The packed crowd moaned.
"I said we were going to say good-night," Costello quipped. "I didn't say we were going to leave."
British humor. Costello and his Impostors performed eight more songs after that point.
The night was full of Costello classics, new material form Look Now and a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Brilliant Disguise," which segued into "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror." The music in the night ranged from punk rock to '60s pop to lounge, noir pop and more. Costello mines multiple musical styles, often in the same song.
Costello, dressed in a form-fitting black suit, often presented the songs with spoken intros — stories about fringe characters, last chance losers and hopeless romantics. He's a show man who still has a snarl in his voice.
He announced on social media in July that he was recovering from surgery for an aggressive form of cancer, and he had to cancel remaining dates of a European tour with the Impostors at the time. He showed no signs of wear here.
"I feel right at home here," Costello said. "It you find a place called New Brighton, it actually looks like Asbury Park. I mean, not as posh."
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