Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 17, 2017: Difference between revisions
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<center><h3> Elvis Costello doesn't let nostalgia hamper creativity at Riverside show </h3></center> | <center><h3> Elvis Costello doesn't let nostalgia <br> hamper creativity at Riverside show </h3></center> | ||
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<center> Piet Levy </center> | <center> Piet Levy </center> | ||
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You didn't think Elvis Costello would be into the whole "album in its entirety" thing, did you? | You didn't think Elvis Costello would be into the whole "album in its entirety" thing, did you? | ||
The English power-pop master is touring the United States this summer in celebration of the 35th anniversary of | The English power-pop master is touring the United States this summer in celebration of the 35th anniversary of ''Imperial Bedroom'', a risky venture that featured some of Costello's most ornate arrangements and was rewarded with exuberant critical praise, if not exactly blockbuster commercial success. | ||
Nothing wrong with looking back — | Nothing wrong with looking back — Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith swung through Milwaukee on recent tours with exhilarating album retrospectives — although Costello isn't one to dwell on a past episode. "Everyday I Write The Book," he once famously sang, with recent chapters including a collaborative album with the Roots, recording for a Stephen King musical and participating in a Bob Dylan-inspired supergroup. | ||
While Costello and his backing band | While Costello and his backing band the Imposters emphasized ''Bedroom'' for much of Sunday night's two-hour-and-20-minute Riverside Theater set, they didn't bother with a slavish, song-by-song rendition, skipping over a couple ''Bedroom'' tracks and throwing in material from other albums along the way. | ||
There was just enough of the requisite reminiscence to satiate expectations, including a breezy anecdote about the | There was just enough of the requisite reminiscence to satiate expectations, including a breezy anecdote about the ''Bedroom'' recording sessions in London, where Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Alice Cooper and Duran Duran were all working at the time. Costello also recalled when he first saw the abstract, carnal ''Bedroom'' cover art, thinking to himself, 'Oh (expletive).'" | ||
Costello's distinctive whine hasn't lost an inch of character over the decades. " | Costello's distinctive whine hasn't lost an inch of character over the decades. "Almost Blue," with just Costello crooning over Steve Nieve's noirish yet sparse piano, honored the sorrow of the original Sunday. And the band paid tribute to the Beatles, which heavily influenced ''Bedroom'', by covering "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" in the middle of "...And In Every Home." | ||
Largely, though, Costello was keen to present | Largely, though, Costello was keen to present ''Bedroom'' with a more modern context. At times, it was a bit forced, as with some winking between-song commentary that hinted at our turbulent sociopolitical climate, or a drawing on the stage's big screen with messages reading "Stop the Deportations" and "Demonstrate" that didn't quite connect with the material, and consequently came off as preachy. | ||
The best | The best ''Bedroom'' arrangements conveyed bittersweet reflection, lending these songs about "heartbreak and misery," as Costello cheekily defined them Sunday, with more emotional heft than the sometimes overly busy recordings allowed. | ||
During " | During "Tears Before Bedtime," the band increased the tension by dialing back the music, allowing Costello's surprisingly nimble vocals — and soulful flourishes by touring vocalists Kitten Kuroi and Briana Lee — to come into focus. Costello also started "Shabby Doll" with inspired '60s psychedelic guitar rock that congealed into a roadhouse blues riffs after the second chorus, only to come unglued again before the song's end. | ||
Costello humored the audience with straightforward renditions of greatest hits " | Costello humored the audience with straightforward renditions of greatest hits "Pump It Up" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," fit for a boisterous finale. | ||
For " | For "Alison" however, Costello offered a sparse rendition led by his yearning solo electric guitar, with Kuroi and Lee standing on either side of him singing into a lone microphone. | ||
This "look back" also offered a look at two yet-to-be-released songs called " | This "look back" also offered a look at two yet-to-be-released songs called "A Face In The Crowd" and "Stripping Paper." | ||
Both were presented in a basic format — Costello on piano with Kuroi and Lee singing backing vocals for "Crowd," and Costello singing "Paper" with just Nieve on piano. They were rich performances nevertheless, thanks to Costello's colorful vocals, lyrics and melodies. | Both were presented in a basic format — Costello on piano with Kuroi and Lee singing backing vocals for "Crowd," and Costello singing "Paper" with just Nieve on piano. They were rich performances nevertheless, thanks to Costello's colorful vocals, lyrics and melodies. | ||
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How refreshing to see Costello, at 62, still thriving on creative impulses. At this point, fans wouldn't expect anything less. | How refreshing to see Costello, at 62, still thriving on creative impulses. At this point, fans wouldn't expect anything less. | ||
The Takeaways | |||
*For those not keeping track, the Imposters is practically the same lineup as | *For those not keeping track, the Imposters is practically the same lineup as the Attractions, the backing band behind many of Costello's earlier albums, including ''Bedroom'', and was inducted with Costello into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The lone difference is bassist Davey Faragher, who replaced the Attractions' Bruce Thomas (of no relation to both bands' drummer, Pete Thomas). | ||
*The Imposters' MVP Sunday, without dispute, was Nieve, who managed to play both synthesizer and organ simultaneously during " | *The Imposters' MVP Sunday, without dispute, was Nieve, who managed to play both synthesizer and organ simultaneously during "Accidents Will Happen," before heading over to the grand piano for the song's grand finale. | ||
*Sample banter: "We really did think we made the feel-good hit of the summer in 1982. We had a harpsichord on it." — Costello (being sarcastic, if you couldn't tell) | *Sample banter: "We really did think we made the feel-good hit of the summer in 1982. We had a harpsichord on it." — Costello (being sarcastic, if you couldn't tell) | ||
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'''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 17, 2017 | '''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 17, 2017 | ||
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[[Piet Levy]] reviews Elvis Costello | [[Piet Levy]] reviews Elvis Costello & [[The Imposters]] with [[Kitten Kuroi]], [[Briana Lee]], Sunday, [[Concert 2017-07-16 Milwaukee|July 16, 2017]], Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | ||
{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
[[image:2017-07-17 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel photo 01 km.jpg| | [[image:2017-07-17 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel photo 01 km.jpg|380px]] | ||
<small> | <br><small>Photo by [[Kelsea McCulloch]] / PTG Live Events.</small> | ||
Photo | |||
{{Bibliography notes footer}} | {{Bibliography notes footer}} | ||
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[[Category:Milwaukee Journal Sentinel| Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 2017-07-17]] | [[Category:Milwaukee Journal Sentinel| Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 2017-07-17]] | ||
[[Category:Newspaper articles]] | [[Category:Newspaper articles]] | ||
[[Category:2017 concert reviews]] | [[Category:2017 concert reviews]] | ||
Revision as of 17:10, 17 October 2021
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