http://www.elviscostello.com/homepage#/dance-card
Sep 3, 2014
Rohnert Park, California, USA
Weill Hall at Green Music Center Sonoma State University
Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Tickets on sale 05/27/14
Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
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sweetest punch
- Posts: 5993
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Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
Pre-sale announcement 12:18
Click for tickets 12:19
Closest seat available: Row Q
I think I'll wait
Click for tickets 12:19
Closest seat available: Row Q
I think I'll wait
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bronxapostle
- Posts: 4916
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:27 pm
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
you could try that approach, but it does appear to be a rather small hall. currently, a cheaper seat at $65 is available FIRST ROW balcony! good luck either way. baramalama wrote:Pre-sale announcement 12:18
Click for tickets 12:19
Closest seat available: Row Q
I think I'll wait
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Dr. Luther
- Posts: 475
- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 3:25 pm
- Location: SF
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
That's what I got -- first row balcony center.
It wasn't easy to locate, as that was what I was really looking for.
That Artist Arena site is a difficult thing to navigate.
The venue is an odd one.
Apparently the main floor has a back wall that opens up to a LAWN, but there is a balcony as well.
Also -- Artist Arena lists this as a solo show.
(They really need to get their shit together.)
One last thing:
Artist Arena doesn't work in Internet Explorer.
I had to download Chrome to even have the Costello pre-sale page display.
It wasn't easy to locate, as that was what I was really looking for.
That Artist Arena site is a difficult thing to navigate.
The venue is an odd one.
Apparently the main floor has a back wall that opens up to a LAWN, but there is a balcony as well.
Also -- Artist Arena lists this as a solo show.
(They really need to get their shit together.)
One last thing:
Artist Arena doesn't work in Internet Explorer.
I had to download Chrome to even have the Costello pre-sale page display.
Last edited by Dr. Luther on Wed May 21, 2014 7:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Dr. Luther
- Posts: 475
- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 3:25 pm
- Location: SF
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
By the way:
Did I miss the Saratoga Artist Arena "pre-sale"?
Or has it not happened yet?
Did I miss the Saratoga Artist Arena "pre-sale"?
Or has it not happened yet?
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
oohh... Sideways in Sonoma. It's not like that has never been done before! Mid-week buzz.. or I mean, show.. Could be a good pairing with a pinot.
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Dr. Luther
- Posts: 475
- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 3:25 pm
- Location: SF
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
I was thinking Lagunitas Brewing Co.MOJO wrote:Could be a good pairing with a pinot.
It's right on the route.
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
Not really on the way unless you take highway 1 and then cut over to 101 near Petaluma. Definitely wine country zone. Dry Creek Road is a good spot to hit up for wineries. Free tastings with a Visa Signature card. Way better than Napa. As for Laganitas - good beer! Come on out for the party!
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sweetest punch
- Posts: 5993
- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 5:49 am
- Location: Belgium
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
Interview by phone: http://www.bohemian.com/northbay/call-m ... id=2609596
Call Me Elvis
Versatile songwriter returns to North Bay
Elvis Costello's most enduring musical trait is his constant curiosity. Whether it's as frontman for the Attractions and the Imposters, or partnering up with other musical luminaries, Costello is still evolving after 35 years.
On Sept. 3, Costello makes his debut at Weill Hall, at Sonoma State's Green Music Center, playing with his longtime band the Imposters—drummer Pete Thomas, bassist Davey Faragher and pianist Steve Nieve. Speaking by phone, Costello talks about the band and his forthcoming release, a new collaborative take on previously unused Bob Dylan lyrics titled Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes.
"It's always great to play with the Imposters, you know," says Costello. "We haven't had as much opportunity to play this year. Whenever we reconvene, there's always a new combination that comes from it, because we don't burn it out."
Costello hinted at his approach to creating surprising and diverse set lists. "We've been looking at some of the songs from Wise Up Ghost over the year, and getting some different things out of the recorded version."
Wise Up Ghost is Costello's most recent release, a 2013 album co-produced with the Roots. The house band for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon approached Costello after he appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2009. "It's a three-way dialogue between [drummer] Questlove's rhythmic approach and my words filtered through [producer and engineer] Steven Mandel's editorial production," explains Costello.
Since the album came out last year, the songwriter has been constantly reworking tunes for Imposters and his solo shows, offering new arrangements with each performance. "Music is like that, all the time changing under your hands," he says. "That's been the case for the last 37 years."
This November, Costello unveils another new cooperative effort, when Lost on the River is released. Producer T Bone Burnett assembled a group of artists, including Costello, Mumford and Sons' Marcus Mumford and My Morning Jacket's Jim James to write and record songs using unused Bob Dylan lyrics from the late '60s. Dylan's only involvement in this album was granting permission.
"There were 24 lyrics at our disposal, and we were given complete license to set them any way we heard them, and use our own eyes on the editorial," explains Costello. "That's a lot of freedom to be given, you know. And it was nice collaborating with someone who couldn't put up an argument."
Call Me Elvis
Versatile songwriter returns to North Bay
Elvis Costello's most enduring musical trait is his constant curiosity. Whether it's as frontman for the Attractions and the Imposters, or partnering up with other musical luminaries, Costello is still evolving after 35 years.
On Sept. 3, Costello makes his debut at Weill Hall, at Sonoma State's Green Music Center, playing with his longtime band the Imposters—drummer Pete Thomas, bassist Davey Faragher and pianist Steve Nieve. Speaking by phone, Costello talks about the band and his forthcoming release, a new collaborative take on previously unused Bob Dylan lyrics titled Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes.
"It's always great to play with the Imposters, you know," says Costello. "We haven't had as much opportunity to play this year. Whenever we reconvene, there's always a new combination that comes from it, because we don't burn it out."
Costello hinted at his approach to creating surprising and diverse set lists. "We've been looking at some of the songs from Wise Up Ghost over the year, and getting some different things out of the recorded version."
Wise Up Ghost is Costello's most recent release, a 2013 album co-produced with the Roots. The house band for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon approached Costello after he appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2009. "It's a three-way dialogue between [drummer] Questlove's rhythmic approach and my words filtered through [producer and engineer] Steven Mandel's editorial production," explains Costello.
Since the album came out last year, the songwriter has been constantly reworking tunes for Imposters and his solo shows, offering new arrangements with each performance. "Music is like that, all the time changing under your hands," he says. "That's been the case for the last 37 years."
This November, Costello unveils another new cooperative effort, when Lost on the River is released. Producer T Bone Burnett assembled a group of artists, including Costello, Mumford and Sons' Marcus Mumford and My Morning Jacket's Jim James to write and record songs using unused Bob Dylan lyrics from the late '60s. Dylan's only involvement in this album was granting permission.
"There were 24 lyrics at our disposal, and we were given complete license to set them any way we heard them, and use our own eyes on the editorial," explains Costello. "That's a lot of freedom to be given, you know. And it was nice collaborating with someone who couldn't put up an argument."
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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And No Coffee Table
- Posts: 3530
- Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 2:57 pm
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
Interview/preview:
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/multimedia ... e-eclectic
Elvis Costello wants to set the record straight. Despite what he said in a recent BBC documentary, hinting that “Wise Up Ghost” could be his final recording, it’s not true.
“What I said was that I wasn’t sure if the time I devoted to record making was a good use of my resources any more. It seems like it was somewhat of a fool’s errand,” he said. “I didn’t say, ‘I didn’t want to record because I’d lost interest in recording.’ I had to acknowledge that there was no longer a justification for me indulging myself in recording and spending time away from my family and other responsibilities.”
On this day, he’s is doing exactly that — spending time at home with his wife, singer Diana Krall, and their two sons. He’s taking a break between a solo tour and his upcoming “Imposters” tour, while “looking out on the Vancouver skyline and wondering if the sun’s ever going to come out.”
Over the course of a half-hour interview, the 59-year-old British singer-songwriter goes into such detail in answering each question, it’s hard to get in more than a few queries.
Yet, in the way his mind delves into and jumps from subject to subject, he covers everything from blood harmony and a new Bob Dylan project to music piracy and his favorite soccer team — the Liverpool Football Club.
More than 40 years after he burst on the scene as a New Wave Buddy Holly look-alike, fighting his way through nasal angst to find occasional beauty in ballads, Costello has vastly broadened his musical repertoire.
He still rarely leaves a show without playing “Watching the Detectives” or “Alison” or “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.”
But these days he’s more likely to find inspiration in Americana, bluegrass, folk and country. And just when you think you’ve got him pegged, along comes “Wise Up Ghost,” his collaboration with the Philly hip-hop group, The Roots — one of the most unusual of 2013.
Before he takes the stage with the Imposters next Wednesday at the Green Music Center, the son of big-band singer took a break to chat about family, soccer and Johnny Depp.
On politics in music: “You can get on your high horse imagining that you’re influencing events by standing on stage and singing songs. But if you don’t sing what you feel, then what are you doing? Are you just providing a mild distraction while we tumble along toward the rotating knives?”
On music piracy: “It’s all being done under the phony pretense of revolution and innovation, when it’s actually just piracy. I’d have more respect for them if they were straight-up. But meanwhile, I’ll go and do what I do (performing night after night), which you can’t steal. You can only think you’re stealing it.”
On playing a recent “Brothers McManus” show with his brothers Ronan and Ruairi: “It was a gas. We got booked to play the Royal Botanical Gardens, so we were covered in pollen and butterflies while playing. It was a very unusual show, with a lot of people eating picnics on the lawn.”
On discovering that Johnny Depp randomly filled in for him during the recording of the new Bob Dylan project “Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes”: “I’m at the film playback and they pan around the room and there’s Marcus (Mumford) singing these great lyrics and they keep panning around the room and there’s Johnny Depp sitting in my chair! I’d like to have that quality of a stand-in at all times. That will be one of the few conditions that I lay down — if I’m not going to be there, we must have that quality of handsomeness in that chair.”
On the Imposters: “We don’t get to play very often as a band right now, so the upcoming shows should have a sense of discovery to them.”
On soccer, his favorite sport: “It’s a maddening game, but I have no interest in any other sport, except curling.”
Bay Area freelancer John Beck writes about entertainment for The Press Democrat. You can reach him at 280-8014 or john@beckmediaproductions.com.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/multimedia ... e-eclectic
Elvis Costello wants to set the record straight. Despite what he said in a recent BBC documentary, hinting that “Wise Up Ghost” could be his final recording, it’s not true.
“What I said was that I wasn’t sure if the time I devoted to record making was a good use of my resources any more. It seems like it was somewhat of a fool’s errand,” he said. “I didn’t say, ‘I didn’t want to record because I’d lost interest in recording.’ I had to acknowledge that there was no longer a justification for me indulging myself in recording and spending time away from my family and other responsibilities.”
On this day, he’s is doing exactly that — spending time at home with his wife, singer Diana Krall, and their two sons. He’s taking a break between a solo tour and his upcoming “Imposters” tour, while “looking out on the Vancouver skyline and wondering if the sun’s ever going to come out.”
Over the course of a half-hour interview, the 59-year-old British singer-songwriter goes into such detail in answering each question, it’s hard to get in more than a few queries.
Yet, in the way his mind delves into and jumps from subject to subject, he covers everything from blood harmony and a new Bob Dylan project to music piracy and his favorite soccer team — the Liverpool Football Club.
More than 40 years after he burst on the scene as a New Wave Buddy Holly look-alike, fighting his way through nasal angst to find occasional beauty in ballads, Costello has vastly broadened his musical repertoire.
He still rarely leaves a show without playing “Watching the Detectives” or “Alison” or “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.”
But these days he’s more likely to find inspiration in Americana, bluegrass, folk and country. And just when you think you’ve got him pegged, along comes “Wise Up Ghost,” his collaboration with the Philly hip-hop group, The Roots — one of the most unusual of 2013.
Before he takes the stage with the Imposters next Wednesday at the Green Music Center, the son of big-band singer took a break to chat about family, soccer and Johnny Depp.
On politics in music: “You can get on your high horse imagining that you’re influencing events by standing on stage and singing songs. But if you don’t sing what you feel, then what are you doing? Are you just providing a mild distraction while we tumble along toward the rotating knives?”
On music piracy: “It’s all being done under the phony pretense of revolution and innovation, when it’s actually just piracy. I’d have more respect for them if they were straight-up. But meanwhile, I’ll go and do what I do (performing night after night), which you can’t steal. You can only think you’re stealing it.”
On playing a recent “Brothers McManus” show with his brothers Ronan and Ruairi: “It was a gas. We got booked to play the Royal Botanical Gardens, so we were covered in pollen and butterflies while playing. It was a very unusual show, with a lot of people eating picnics on the lawn.”
On discovering that Johnny Depp randomly filled in for him during the recording of the new Bob Dylan project “Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes”: “I’m at the film playback and they pan around the room and there’s Marcus (Mumford) singing these great lyrics and they keep panning around the room and there’s Johnny Depp sitting in my chair! I’d like to have that quality of a stand-in at all times. That will be one of the few conditions that I lay down — if I’m not going to be there, we must have that quality of handsomeness in that chair.”
On the Imposters: “We don’t get to play very often as a band right now, so the upcoming shows should have a sense of discovery to them.”
On soccer, his favorite sport: “It’s a maddening game, but I have no interest in any other sport, except curling.”
Bay Area freelancer John Beck writes about entertainment for The Press Democrat. You can reach him at 280-8014 or john@beckmediaproductions.com.
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Jack of All Parades
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- Location: Where I wish to be
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
"On discovering that Johnny Depp randomly filled in for him during the recording of the new Bob Dylan project “Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes”: “I’m at the film playback and they pan around the room and there’s Marcus (Mumford) singing these great lyrics and they keep panning around the room and there’s Johnny Depp sitting in my chair! I’d like to have that quality of a stand-in at all times. That will be one of the few conditions that I lay down — if I’m not going to be there, we must have that quality of handsomeness in that chair.”"
Yes, that is the kind of clause I would want written into my performance contract-except I think I would substitute Michael Fassbinder for Depp
Yes, that is the kind of clause I would want written into my performance contract-except I think I would substitute Michael Fassbinder for Depp
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
A newer link for this has what looks to me like a new photo from the Danny Clinch session from last year -
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/entertainm ... tic#page=2
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/entertainm ... tic#page=2
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
Curling - haha, funny. He can't be serious or can he?? Reminds me of the classic SCTV promo for Monday Night Curling -
Start at 8:11:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dURC1Lxg3kU
John Candy yelling, "SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP" is so funny. I'm cracking up right now.
Start at 8:11:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dURC1Lxg3kU
John Candy yelling, "SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP" is so funny. I'm cracking up right now.
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docinwestchester
- Posts: 2321
- Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 7:58 pm
- Location: Westchester County, NY
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
He's (unofficially) part Canadian, no?MOJO wrote:Curling - haha, funny. He can't be serious or can he??
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
True, but really? Curling is like a comic's playground. Like bowling in the US - consider - Big Lebowski and Kingpin. I guess it could be real. Sad, if it was. I hate to see a mind go to waste... on excessive curling matches! Although, I like watching men's pro surfing and I guess that is not for everyone, so who knows what people are drawn to.
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And No Coffee Table
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And No Coffee Table
- Posts: 3530
- Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 2:57 pm
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
Setlist thanks to Maria:
01. I Hope You're Happy Now
02. High Fidelity
03. Either Side Of The Same Town
04. Everyday I Write The Book
05. Watching The Detectives
06. Walk Us Uptown
07. Shipbuilding
08. Cinco Minutos Con Vos
09. Oliver's Army
10. One Bell Ringing
11. Motel Matches
12. Come The Meantimes
13. Bedlam
14. My New Haunt
15. Clubland
16. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
17. Sugar Won't Work
18. I Want You
19. The Last Year Of My Youth
20. Alison
21. Radio, Radio
22. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
23. Pump It Up
24. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
01. I Hope You're Happy Now
02. High Fidelity
03. Either Side Of The Same Town
04. Everyday I Write The Book
05. Watching The Detectives
06. Walk Us Uptown
07. Shipbuilding
08. Cinco Minutos Con Vos
09. Oliver's Army
10. One Bell Ringing
11. Motel Matches
12. Come The Meantimes
13. Bedlam
14. My New Haunt
15. Clubland
16. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
17. Sugar Won't Work
18. I Want You
19. The Last Year Of My Youth
20. Alison
21. Radio, Radio
22. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
23. Pump It Up
24. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
Charles Martin via f/book
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
Is there no video from EITHER of the Cali shows this week?
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
Great show. Every song was awesome. The crowd was way better than the Mt. Winery. People were dancing. Some serious white dance moves (including me!).
The hall was pretty amazing. I felt too scrappy to even be inside it. It's great to know it exists and is definitely a place to add to a Sonoma wine country trip. I would love to see it during the day to see how the sunlight brightens the hall. Some problems were: Me and my friend showed up late, missed the first six songs which sort of threw off the whole night (Start time was 7:30!) Our seats (in the hall) weren't together, so there was a bit of juggling around as we wanted to sit together. I wasn't up for the lawn section because you end up staring at the video screen and I stare at screens all day, so that wasn't for me. I've decided that I am more of a GA/open floor kind of concert goer because I can not sit still. Hopefully, they will come back in the Bay Area and play SF with GA / open floor venue.
PS - Sonoma State U's mascot: The Seawolves... OK! Very polite students working the venue. Almost Mormon like. Again, feeling out of place at the venue.
The hall was pretty amazing. I felt too scrappy to even be inside it. It's great to know it exists and is definitely a place to add to a Sonoma wine country trip. I would love to see it during the day to see how the sunlight brightens the hall. Some problems were: Me and my friend showed up late, missed the first six songs which sort of threw off the whole night (Start time was 7:30!) Our seats (in the hall) weren't together, so there was a bit of juggling around as we wanted to sit together. I wasn't up for the lawn section because you end up staring at the video screen and I stare at screens all day, so that wasn't for me. I've decided that I am more of a GA/open floor kind of concert goer because I can not sit still. Hopefully, they will come back in the Bay Area and play SF with GA / open floor venue.
PS - Sonoma State U's mascot: The Seawolves... OK! Very polite students working the venue. Almost Mormon like. Again, feeling out of place at the venue.
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
Muriel Teodori allows me share these backstage photos from the last few days
Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
Austin Delone,Steve Nieve,Caroline Delone Elvis Costello and the great Dan Hicks, San Francisco , Sept. 3 '14 - via Austin Delone/Facebook
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sweetest punch
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Re: Elvis & Imposters, Rohnert Park (CA), Sept 3, 2014
http://www.sonomastatestar.com/arts-ent ... ew-of-hits
Costello performs a slew of hits
The Green Music Center was visited by Elvis Costello and the Imposters as one of only four stops along their small U.S. tour. The audience was full, filling both the hall as well as the lawn. The concert started at 7:30 and lasted about two hours with an additional 30 minute encore. Costello played quite the set list with 24 songs to be exact; ranging from his older hits to songs from his newest album, “Wise Up Ghost.”
Elvis Costello is an English singer-songwriter who began his career in the early 1970’s. He is a Grammy Award winner that has released 32 albums to date. Costello had numerous influences and sung a variety of genres including rock, pop, jazz and even country. He performed with The Imposters; drummer Pete Thomas, bassist Davey Faragher and pianist Steve Nieve, for nearly 30 years.
Elvis Costello had an impressive catalogue. His solo shows gave him the opportunity to arrange and choose songs to tell a story.
“This show may contain any song I’ve written, some you will know already, some are the hits of tomorrow,” said Costello.
He opened the show with “I Hope You’re Happy Now”, one of his older songs.
A highlight of the night was when Costello performed one of his newer songs, “The Last Year of My Youth,” in which he urged people to stand up, for it described the history of our lives. Costello sung, “Hold onto your fondest wish whatever you call the truth.”
Another memorable performance was “Will You Walk Us Up Town,” where Costello’s band, The Imposters, got the chance to play a large instrumental sequence. Costello repetitively sang the title line, “Will you walk us uptown?”
Other notable performances included, “Red Shoes”, “Everyday I Write the Book” and one of his more popular songs, “Chelsea”. Costello ended his encore with “Peace, Love, and Understanding,” ending the show with a question, “There’s one thing I wanna know: What’s so funny ‘bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh What’s so funny ‘bout peace love & understanding?”
Unfortunately, Costello’s on stage presence was less than stellar. He sang song after song, however, he did not talk and interact with the audience. When seeing an artist live, one likes to hear the artist talk and maybe give a little story about the song or interact with the crowd somehow. Costello barely spoke with the exception of the hello, the introduction of his band and good night. He did not tell stories, make jokes or even say thank you.
He zipped through the set list as if it were a chore. Costello did not even seem to be having a good time. Those who had a close-up view on the jumbotron had a constant distraction of Costello chewing his gum which was a disturbance to the music. Although Costello did not seem to be enjoying himself, the same cannot be said about his audience. The crowd was excited to be there, cheered after every song and danced on the lawn, while enjoying Costello and his band perform their hits.
Because this event was held on a college campus, many students came out to enjoy the evening. First time Costello concertgoers may not have received the best impression of him. It was clear that Costello’s show was geared to an older audience.
Costello performs a slew of hits
The Green Music Center was visited by Elvis Costello and the Imposters as one of only four stops along their small U.S. tour. The audience was full, filling both the hall as well as the lawn. The concert started at 7:30 and lasted about two hours with an additional 30 minute encore. Costello played quite the set list with 24 songs to be exact; ranging from his older hits to songs from his newest album, “Wise Up Ghost.”
Elvis Costello is an English singer-songwriter who began his career in the early 1970’s. He is a Grammy Award winner that has released 32 albums to date. Costello had numerous influences and sung a variety of genres including rock, pop, jazz and even country. He performed with The Imposters; drummer Pete Thomas, bassist Davey Faragher and pianist Steve Nieve, for nearly 30 years.
Elvis Costello had an impressive catalogue. His solo shows gave him the opportunity to arrange and choose songs to tell a story.
“This show may contain any song I’ve written, some you will know already, some are the hits of tomorrow,” said Costello.
He opened the show with “I Hope You’re Happy Now”, one of his older songs.
A highlight of the night was when Costello performed one of his newer songs, “The Last Year of My Youth,” in which he urged people to stand up, for it described the history of our lives. Costello sung, “Hold onto your fondest wish whatever you call the truth.”
Another memorable performance was “Will You Walk Us Up Town,” where Costello’s band, The Imposters, got the chance to play a large instrumental sequence. Costello repetitively sang the title line, “Will you walk us uptown?”
Other notable performances included, “Red Shoes”, “Everyday I Write the Book” and one of his more popular songs, “Chelsea”. Costello ended his encore with “Peace, Love, and Understanding,” ending the show with a question, “There’s one thing I wanna know: What’s so funny ‘bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh What’s so funny ‘bout peace love & understanding?”
Unfortunately, Costello’s on stage presence was less than stellar. He sang song after song, however, he did not talk and interact with the audience. When seeing an artist live, one likes to hear the artist talk and maybe give a little story about the song or interact with the crowd somehow. Costello barely spoke with the exception of the hello, the introduction of his band and good night. He did not tell stories, make jokes or even say thank you.
He zipped through the set list as if it were a chore. Costello did not even seem to be having a good time. Those who had a close-up view on the jumbotron had a constant distraction of Costello chewing his gum which was a disturbance to the music. Although Costello did not seem to be enjoying himself, the same cannot be said about his audience. The crowd was excited to be there, cheered after every song and danced on the lawn, while enjoying Costello and his band perform their hits.
Because this event was held on a college campus, many students came out to enjoy the evening. First time Costello concertgoers may not have received the best impression of him. It was clear that Costello’s show was geared to an older audience.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.