Elvis & The Imposters, Saratoga, CA, Sep. 2, 2014

[And No Coffee Table]

Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Tue, Sep 2, 2014 - 7:30PM
Event Info
Ages: All Ages
Doors Open: 5:30PM
Price: $49.50 - $99.50
Onsale: Mon, Apr 28, 2014 - 10:00AM PDT

The Mountain Winery
14831 Pierce Road
Saratoga, CA 95070

http://www.axs.com/events/249570/elvis- ... rs-tickets

[MOJO]

Cool. Hope there is a SF show, so I can avoid the policed-town of Saratoga. They have nothing else to do other than scope out suspicious / out of town characters at these shows. I totally freak out at the cop presence which kills the enjoyment of the show. Anyhow, this venue has never been the same since they upgraded it and filled ln the built-in pool on the top deck. Weak!

[johnfoyle]

Who's going?

[bronxapostle]

very HAPPY if AYAKO was there....

01. Brilliant Mistake
02. Strict Time
03. Either Side Of The Same Town
04. Everyday I Write The Book
05. Watching The Detectives
06. Walk Us Uptown
07. New Lace Sleeves
08. The Last Year Of My Youth
09. Human Hands
10. Oliver's Army
11. One Bell Ringing
12. I'll Wear It Proudly
13. All The Rage
14. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
15. Bedlam
16. Beyond Belief
17. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
18. Sugar Won't Work
Encore
19. Alison
20. Man Out Of Time
21. All These Strangers
22. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
23. Less Than Zero
24. Pump It Up
Start time:
End time:
Submitted: Ayako Sasamoto

[MOJO]

Great show, by the way. Elvis and the band sounded awesome. Highlights: Strict Time, New Lace Sleeves, The Last Year Of My Youth, Human Hands, Oliver's Army, I'll Wear It Proudly, Deep Dark Truthful Mirror, Beyond Belief, Less Than Zero.

Lowlights: The security at the venue, the crowd was lame (too white to drink and smoke, silicon valley work drones types). I blame the venue for dulling out the crowd. Even my friend agreed that the security was a bit over the top and he has never been to the venue before. We were chased out the parking lot by the cops at 11 pm.

I'd like to check out tonight's show, but don't know if I can make it.

[bronxapostle]

we hope you do get there tonight Mojo! do tell....how was the first "band" performance of LAST YEAR OF MY YOUTH?

[MOJO]

We missed the opening act. Got there late and we were tailgating. I heard good things about them. If I make it tonight, I will try to see them. These shows are 60 miles south and north of SF. Sort of not the ideal situation for SF fans.

[MOJO]

We missed the opening act. Got there late and we were tailgating. I heard good things about them. If I make it tonight, I will try to see them. These shows are 60 miles south and north of SF. Sort of not the ideal situation for SF fans.

[MOJO]

OK, scored last minute tix to the Sonoma show. No opener (boo!) and I am working till 5 with a start time of 7:30. What? Dang, hope I and the rest of SFers can make it on time. Hopefully, they will start sometime after 8.

[blackguitar]

I was at Saratoga last nite and agree with Mojo about the crowd and the venue. Mountain Winery is a terrible venue - we avoid it like the plague, but it's only a 40 minute drive for us, as opposed to the 2 1/2 hrs to Sonoma, so we bit the bullet and went. It's a suburban, Silicon Valley subscription crowd, overpriced, in a winery on top of a mountain. As my husband says, it's concerts for people who don't know anything about music. Awful access (you have to drive, no other way), one road in and out, shows must end by 10:30 or the venue literally pulls the plug, and a noise level curfew so as not to disturb the locals. Oh, and if you're seated in the pricy heavily subscribed floor seats and you dare to stand up to dance or applaud, you are instantly smacked down by security. This is mainly because the crowd here watched a concert like they're watching TV. I don't want to say this is an old crowd, but ... this is an old crowd. I'm sure Sonoma will be better because it's on a college campus. Wish I could go, but logistics make it impossible. Have a great time, Mojo!

OK, so having said that ... Elvis played an incredible show. Very deep setlist, well thought out -- the "Walk Us Uptown" into "New Lace Sleeves" ("the teacher never told you anything but white lies") particularly got me. A lot of great unexpected choices. I haven't heard "I'll Wear it Proudly" since the Napoleon Dynamite tour, that's for sure. "The Last Year of My Youth" with the Imposters was fully fleshed out since the solo performance on Letterman and it needs to be recorded ASAP. Elvis played some jaw-dropping solos as well, particularly on "One Bell Ringing" (!), which became a long, Neil Young-ish jam, one of the highlights for me.

Like Mojo said, the crowd was dead at best and inattentive at worst. The venue usually books packages of bands who were popular in the '80s, and I'm betting that to most of the folks, EC was just another evening of MTV nostalgia. (People, "Oliver's Army" is NOT a sing-along.) There was a very great moment when EC introduced "All These Strangers" as his last song of the night, and half the place emptied out. The joke's on them, because they then missed "Peace Love and Understanding," "Less than Zero" (!) and "Pump it Up" -- three songs that they would have recognized, had they not been such clueless jerks.

Sorry to be so harsh. The main thing is, EC was great. I will see him at every opportunity, and will haul myself back to the Mountain Winery if I must, but, lord, I hope I don't have to.

[docinwestchester]

An excellent recording by waxdoll is now seeding. He also recorded the next night's show. Hurray for west coast tapers!

[GCM]

It sounds great, but where is it available?