New account of an in store appearance in Seattle , May 2002

Pretty self-explanatory
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johnfoyle
Posts: 14852
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

New account of an in store appearance in Seattle , May 2002

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https://easystreetonline.com/


Easy Street Records on Facebook

16 May 2018 -

16 years ago on this date, Elvis Costello played our QA store, before the store had even opened. Whaaaat? How? Easy Street Guy tells the story:

"We were a month out from opening our Queen Anne store and I was trying to get some grand opening events together. I had caught wind that Elvis Costello's tour was getting started in Seattle and that he would be rehearsing in Seattle for a few days leading up to the first show. I had read some interviews about his new record, 'When I Was Cruel,' and it seemed to be a nod to his punk rock roots. When I heard an advance copy I was very impressed. I inquired about an in-store, but, of course, I knew it would be a longshot.


Before I knew it, I received a call from an Irish guy, "Paddy," who handled Elvis. He said that he would come by and check out what the store was like when they got to Seattle. A few weeks later, he arrived with about five other Irish chaps. They walked around the store like a scene out of Miller's Crossing, kinda shook their heads a bit, mainly because I didn't have any product in the store, I was still doing our build-out, and the store, well, it wasn't open. He caught my name and asked how I spelled my last name. I said, "V-A-U-G-H-A-N." He says, "Oh, you spell it the Irish way, well that's a good start." My contractor, Hank Dufour was with me. He was born, lived, and had family in Ireland. That seemed to help too. Paddy then said, "Can you guys build some kind of barrier around the stage?" We said we could. He said "OK, we'll do it. You will have product, right?" I said, "Well, I'll have Elvis Costello product at the very least." He said, "Yeah, that would be a good idea." He looked at me as if I'd be strangled to death if I didn't.

Of course, I couldn't get the store opened in time for the in-store. I was able to at least get Elvis CDs in the store, but that was it. I couldn't fill the store with product until the build-out was complete. I had to line up the fans from the front door in a single file line. Before I knew it, the line was circling the block around 1st and Mercer and Queen Anne, we had a full 360 degrees around the block and about 1,000 people waiting. Elvis jumps on stage and plays every instrument himself with synchronized pedals. KMTT was simulcasting the show live. Halfway through the set, I hear the sirens. Oh no, it can't be....the fire department. Two trucks pull up across the street, the firemen walk through the parking lot and through the back doors. I get a dialogue going with them to try to delay the inevitable. They looked out to the throng of people, then turned to me and said, "Hey, we gotta turn the lights on and pull the plug on this, this is ridiculous. You are way beyond capacity here." It was at that point the youngest fireman of the bunch says, "Oh my God, it's fucking Elvis Costello." He played for over an hour. The firemen watched the rest of the show from backstage with smiles on their faces. After the set was over, the fireman says to me, "You think Elvis would sign this warning infraction for us?" I'm sure it's pinned up at a fire station around here somewhere."


A signed pass - 'thanks to Julie Dexter' says the posting on a EC fan site - http://www.elviscostello.info/pic/memor ... 020515.jpg

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Elvis had a online journal on that tour, including this from May 2002 -

It was good to see so many people at the appearance at the Easy Street store in Seattle – and I enjoyed playing D.J. at K.M.T.T., spinning some Buck Owens, Tom Waits, Solomon Burke and a couple of Imposter re-mixes. These tracks were also aired during the recording of a session with my beat boxes and fuzz tones earlier in the week at K.C.R.W. in Santa Monica. I believe that one can we heard on the ‘net.

http://www.elviscostello.info/articles/ ... 0514a.html

What's in store? Elvis Costello

Tuesday, May 14, 2002

By GENE STOUT
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER POP MUSIC CRITIC

(extract)

Despite his lofty status as a punk and new wave icon, Elvis Costello doesn't mind playing the music he loves for a roomful of fans.

Costello is warming up for his latest U.S. concert tour with a rare "in store" performance tomorrow night at 7 at the new Easy Street Records on Lower Queen Anne. Admission is free, but space is limited to about 800 people. Suggested lineup time is 5 p.m. Passes will given to those who arrive early. For those who can't get in, the concert will air live on KMTT-FM, 103.7.

The brief solo performance will feature 6 to 8 songs from "When I Was Cruel," Costello's first new album in seven years. The tour opens Saturday in Portland and continues with a sold-out concert Sunday at Seattle's Paramount Theatre.

"When I play by myself, it's sort of like the magician showing you all the tricks," Costello said in a phone interview from his home in Dublin, Ireland.

"It's a glimpse into the way the new record was put together. I don't just play acoustic guitar. I have my little home setup and some of the beat boxes that I use when I'm writing songs. When you strip a song down to those original beats, it's sort of like me playing a live demo."

Spooky Girlfriend from this appearance is on this compilation http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... Mountain_8

Photos by Kevin Larson , via facebook

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http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... et_Records
johnfoyle
Posts: 14852
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: New account of an in store appearance in Seattle , May 2002

Post by johnfoyle »

By June 25, 2002 Elvis had, in his journal, lost his enthusiasm for in store appearances -

(extract)

Having said this, we actually left the West Coast for Denver by air and arrived in Colorado in time to make an appearance at a record shop. At best, these events give me a chance to create a club atmosphere in the store and meet a few local people. Unfortunately, not every establishment can be adapted for performance and it is a thin line between low-key charm in which the evil conjurer reveals the working of the his trick (typo in the only copy I have of the text - the original is deleted - JF ) and feeling like a precocious performing child from the 18th Century perched on a table top.

Hopefully, nobody in attendance (or those who no doubt ran the event in good faith) was any the worse for my dismay but I resolved to only honour my next such engagement. In truth, my first responsibility is to those who have bought a concert ticket. It is fine to visit radio stations and make these appearances occasionally but there are other ways for people to learn of the existence of an album. The record company can always take out some advertisements.

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I guess he means this appearance -

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... ut_Records
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