Athens Flagpole, May 11, 2005

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Athens Flagpole

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Elvis Costello & The Pickups

Classic Center Theatre, Athens, Georgia

Ben Gerrard

With Sondre Lerche

Sondre Lerche, the pale young man from Norway, is opening for Elvis Costello, and sounding like, of all people, a wistful Burt Bacharach. Lerche looks lonely on the big Classic Center Theatre stage in front of Elvis' equipment. He strums on a large, golden, hollow-bodied guitar and launches into "Track You Down," a song he based on a vivid nightmare taking his fear and channelling it into folky pop. Lerche brings the tempo down for material from his first album and an a cappella version of "Moonlight Becomes You," oft-performed by Bing Crosby.

As Lerche relaxes into his set, he starts to fill the stage with his presence, but his high-toned vocals have shone all the way. For his last song (on his last night of this tour) Lerche finishes with his hit "Two Way Monologue," a melodic folk-pop chart topper with the kind of catchy hooks that could easily have been sung by the likes of Ben Gibbard. For a one-man opener, Lerche has equipped himself well and all indications are promising.

On comes Elvis Costello in a stylish dark-blue three-piece suit to a round of standing applause from the packed house as he parades across the stage and commences a solo medley of "Radio Sweetheart" and Van Morrison's "Jackie Wilson Said." Costello is joined by his rhythm section Pete Thomas (bass) and Davey Faragher (drums) and together they launch into classic Costello-style, 70s New Wave/Punk with those signature fast-strummed melodic guitar chords. Next, the band cruises into a ballad born of the time when Costello stopped rocking and discovered soul and smooth pop. This erupts into what Costello calls "a little Merseysippi," blending rockabilly and Delta blues.

Soon Costello spends some time at the keyboards for "Running Out Of Fools," a classic smoky nightclub torch song, before "Kinder Murder" and the hallmark "Watching The Detectives." Here the set is at its highest point and sadly begins to descend. It soon becomes clear that something about the chemistry (or lack thereof) as the Pickups makes them clearly not the Attractions or even the Imposters, not even a pale comparison. Not even the introduction of Los Lobos guitarist David Hidalgo can lift this very straight backing arrangement and the show starts to sink like a helium balloon tied to a lead anchor.

Costello's new material, off the Delivery Man album, just isn't coping under the weight and for someone who was so very excited to see Costello, I despair with boredom. The insertion of the jaunty "Monkey To Man" provides some relief, but it too is drawn into the sucking mire of the dull arrangement that surrounds it. I long to hear more classic Elvis, but after an hour of waiting I am pained to stay in my seat and leave. The show had its shining high points, but they were few and far between; while the very middle-aged audience was in raptures, I felt as if I were watching a grand talent unceremoniously compromise himself.


Tags: Classic CenterAthensGeorgiaThe PickupsDavey FaragherPete ThomasDavid HidalgoRadio SweetheartVan MorrisonJackie Wilson SaidRunning Out Of FoolsWatching The DetectivesKinder MurderThe Delivery ManMonkey To ManSondre LercheBurt BacharachBing CrosbyBen GibbardThe AttractionsThe Imposters

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Flagpole Magazine, May 11, 2005


Ben Gerrard reviews Elvis Costello & The Pickups and opening act Sondre Lerche, Wednesday, April 27, 2005, Classic Center, Athens, Georgia.

Images

2005-05-11 Athens Flagpole page 30 clipping 01.jpg
Clipping.


Photo by Chris McKay.
2005-05-11 Athens Flagpole photo 01 cm.jpg


Cover and page scan.
2005-05-11 Athens Flagpole cover.jpg 2005-05-11 Athens Flagpole page 30.jpg

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