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Hundreds of fans, many who had lined up for hours, packed San Francisco's Amoeba Music at noon today to watch Elvis Costello perform a 40-minute set to promote his new slab of Americana, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane. He stuck around afterward to sign CDs and posters before catching a plane to L.A. for the day's second in-store, at 8 PST tonight at Amoeba in Hollywood (that show will stream live at amoeba.com.)
Costello was joined by two of his accompanists from the new album, singer-guitarist Jim Lauderdale and bluegrass mandolin master Mike Compton. Elvis' old Bay Area pal, Austin de Lone, joined on accordion for the final two numbers. The setlist consisted of six tunes from the new album, a brand-new one about a condemned killer, and the country-tinged "Blame It on Cain," from his first album, now more than 30 years old.
Amoeba employees said the capacity of the room was 1,200, and it appeared to be getting close to that figure as the trio hit the stage at noon sharp. At the end of the opening "Complicated Shadows," Costello invited fans to come forward and fill the space at the foot of the stage in front of the photographers. Costello was mostly business, but he had a little fun teasing the crowd and driving his band onward.
Warmed up from a visit to the KFOG Morning Show, Costello wasn't quite at his vocal best, but he was hitting all the notes at this relatively early hour. Compton, perhaps the finest living practitioner of the Bill Monroe mandolin tradition, was happy to eschew hot solos and just fuel the rhythmic groove, and Lauderdale chimed in on the harmonies.
The whole combo — plus Nashville A-Teamers Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan and Dennis Crouch — will be back in the Bay Area for shows Aug. 17 at Saratoga's Mountain Winery, Aug. 18 at Berkeley's Greek Theater, Aug. 19 at Livermore's Wente Vineyards and Aug. 21 at Santa Rosa's Wells Fargo Center.
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