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Elvis Costello kicked off his new North American tour Sunday night with a burst of deafening energy. And a sold-out audience at the University of British Columbia's War Memorial Gymnasium seemed to love every minute of it.
Those who came to hear Costello's clever lyrics and inimitable vocals were heartened by his first song, a plaintive combination of ringing piano and voice reminiscent of the live version of "Accidents Will Happen." But their hopes were soon dashed by the gymnasium acoustics and the shattering volume.
The 26-year-old Englishman gave his enthusiastic listeners several samples of things to come from his new album, Trust, as well as satisfying those who came to hear hits from his three North American albums.
The new material is different in that it demonstrates his country and soul influences rather more than the obvious rhythm and blues patterns of the past. All of which makes sense, considering the acceptance Costello has recently found in Nashville circles.
There is also a new attention to mood. Whereas in the past Costello's songs have generally been short, dense and biting, his new melodies actually swing a little — from slow, throbbing sounds to rapid-fire Bo Diddley rhythms, for instance.
Costello's back-up boys, the Attractions, were in tremendous form, and keyboard player Steve Naive, in particular, came up with nice little surprises all evening.
Opening for Costello was the group Squeeze, a five-man configuration that has recently found new life with the addition of Paul Carrack, formerly of Ace, on keyboards. In fact, one of the highlights of Squeeze's set was a rocking rendition of Carrack's hit for Ace, "How Long (Has This Been Going On)?"
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