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Rock's New Wave crested in San Diego last night.
After a number of false starts, a crowd that was both numerous and sartorially attuned to the New Wave's rebelliously sleazy ideal responded zealously and joyously to an artist whose ability and spirit matched their expectations.
The artist was Britisher Elvis Costello, performing before a noisy sellout crowd of 2,400 at the Fox Theater downtown and all but obliterating the memory of his dispirited, less-than-mediocre local debut last year at the Civic Theater.
Crowds for New Wave shows have often in the past been small or mainly curious. Or artists — as in the case of Patti Smith — have subverted their own effectiveness through onstage contretemps. This time the crowd was up, and so was Costello.
He wore his black shirt, pink tie, black-and-white-checked jacket, black slacks and white shoes. Garb in the audience ranged from Thrift Shop suits and skinny ties to safety-pin earrings to white vinyl go-go boots to a Santa Claus hat to a green surgical gown and mask.
His demeanor was characteristically sullen, his enunciation casual at best, his expression deadpan behind Buddy Holly-style hornrim glasses. His musical style was both upbeat and menacing, fairly exploding with energy.
Backed powerfully by drummer Pete Thomas, bassist Bruce Thomas and keyboardist Steve Naive, Costello kept his own guitar work simple and to the point, his vocalizing raspy and expressive.
He never smiled. At the end of "You Belong to Me," he glared ominously at the cheering crowd, seeming to threaten mayhem if the applause did not reach the level he considered his due.
He need not have worried. The crowd's reaction was generous, and he deserved it all.
The crowd, however, deserved more in the way of simple quantity. Costello's performance, including encore, lasted less than an hour, and at ticket prices of up to $7.50, it was not enough.
Speaking of New Wave, the show opened splendidly with the Rubinoos, a Berkeley-based quartet whose vocal style and youthful brashness recalled memories of the new rock of the mid-1960s. With two guitars, bass and drums, and two- and three-part vocal harmonies, the group in spirit seemed to emulate the Beatles, and even carried off a sparkling version of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand."
Best of all, the Rubinoos showed off a zingy sense of humor, dosing their set with a deliciously satirical number called "Rock 'n' Roll Is Dead and We Don't Care."
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