|
"I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused," sang an enthusiastic Elvis Costello to an equally enthusiastic audience Wednesday night at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
With that simple twist of lyric (the original being "...but now I'm just amused"), the prolific British singer displayed not only his wit but his realization that life is not always a bowl of sour cherries. Although the notorious Costello acidity was not completely absent, he doled it out in small doses, tempered with gobs of good will.
In what must be seen as an effort to redeem himself from a 1979 burst of racist malice that occurred during a tour of the United States, Costello sprinkled his non-stop set with half a dozen songs by American performers, including Smokey Robinson, Albert King, the O'Jays and Hank Williams.
At times his band, The Attractions, resembled nothing so much as the legendary rhythm and blues instrumentalists Booker T and the MGs. Clearly, the man wishes he had never said those awful things, and his audience was ready to forgive and forget.
In another departure, Costello took a cue from his namesake, and used his guitar more like a prop than the rhythm instrument and defensive weapon it has been in the past, sometimes putting it down to concentrate on singing.
When crooning softer songs from his new LP Imperial Bedroom, be might have been Sinatra, complete with easy throwaway gestures, delicate phrasing and heartfelt inflections.
The Attractions provided seamless backing for Elvis adventures. Top-hatted keyboardist Steve Nieve soared throughout, using piano, organ and a bag of synthesizer tricks to keep pace with his leader. When Costello went lounge lizard, Nieve was right with him, dropping smoky cocktail hour chords into the background like olives into a martini glass.
Bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas knit their instruments together like two sets of brass knuckles, rarely stopping between songs and sometimes weaving several differing tempos and melodies into medleys.
Despite his reputation as the Last Angry Man in rock 'n' roll, Costello's music always has had a plaintive edge. He clearly favored that side of the and reserving his emotional intensity for material from Imperial Bedroom that easily could be covered by a stylist like Sinatra.
As the audience brought him back for the first of four encores, bassist Thomas announced that it was Costello's birthday. He and they celebrated the beginning of his 28th year with his classics "Mystery Dance," "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" and "Radio, Radio," as well as a new song, titled simply "Shipyard," in which be sketched a touching picture of the hope of work in a dying seaside town.
The lessened presence of the electric guitar in Costello's band was presaged by opening act Talk Talk, which featured no guitars at all. This new English band's synthesizer-dominated sound is likely to be an important one. They made anthemic music that nonetheless rocked, showing a clever interplay between live drums and synthesized percussion.
| 
