|
RALEIGH — Ever since emerging from the ashes of British punk rock in the late 1970s, Elvis Costello has made a career of defying conventions.
While punks were clinging to anthems about anarchy and nihilism, Costello asked the musical question, "(What's So Funny About) Peace, Love and Understanding?" Angry but articulate, he never let his angst surpass his considerable skill at crafting stellar, three-minute pop songs.
Seventeen years later, Costello's musical eclecticism remains spirited. In recent times, he has collaborated with artists as diverse as the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia and the Brodsky Quartet string ensemble.
Costello is now reunited with his long-time band the Attractions, who performed Saturday at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre with a fierce determination to prove they hadn't mellowed with age.
Almost immediately, an accelerated version of the vintage "Waiting for the End of the World" left no doubt that the band had fully claimed the energy of its early years.
Minutes later, Costello stopped to hang a green soccer jersey on stage, a celebration of Ireland's World Cup soccer victory over Italy earlier in the day.
Trading his electric guitar for an acoustic one, Costello dedicated the soulful "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror" to "everyone staggering back home in Dublin." With his eyes closed and head tilted back, Costello leaned toward the microphone and immersed himself in the song.
Regrettably, it was one of the few times his songwriting talents were on full display, as the combination of a poor sound mix and the band's full-throttle drive dominated the two-hour concert.
Costello and the Attractions (Bruce Thomas, bass; Pete Thomas, drums, and Steve Nieve, keyboards) occasionally departed from the frenetic pace, including a vamped rave-up version of "Clubland," complete with snippets of the lilting classic "On Broadway."
Recognizing their supporting role, the Attractions backed Costello in a solid, if unspectacular, fashion. Nieve's keyboards lent a more lush, almost symphonic feel to both the classics ("Less Than Zero," "Watching the Detectives") and the new material ("Kinder Murder," "13 Steps Lead Down") from this year's Brutal Youth release.
But it was when Costello opted for a surprise take on American soul, as the radio-friendly ballad "Alison" segued into Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears," that his true sympathies emerged.
It was an all-too-brief moment, one quickly lost amid the flurry of encores and double-encores. But after waiting all night for the lyrical Elvis to come forth from his rock persona, it was a moment to savor.
| 
