Watch Your Step: In Mining His Prodigious Past, Elvis Costello Strays From the Beaten Path -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Elvis Costello and the Imposters

Chicago Theatre

November 22, 2019

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A variety of engaging still images, typically shown as a matching or complementary trio, formed the backdrop for Elvis Costello's concert with the Imposters Friday night at the ornate Chicago Theatre.

Some were rather abstract graphics, others found Costello cheekily playing up his look on the cover of 1978’s This Year’s Model and, during “Watching the Detectives,” there were dozens of classic film noir posters, many in languages besides English.

All of these made for fun visuals to accompany the music; some were presumably new while others had also been part of the last Chicago show I saw Costello do, outside on Northerly Island in 2017, also with the Imposters.

My favorite of these images was shown repeatedly, but only before Elvis and the three musicians who comprise the Imposters took the stage. It's style was unlike any of the other graphics.

It was simply an ad promoting the first Chicago show by Elvis Costello and the Attractions--from which drummer Pete Thomas and pianist Steve Nieve remain in the Imposters--on December 2, 1977, in tandem with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

As shown on the ad, the price to get into a show featuring two of the greatest acts in rock history--though both still nascent at the time--was $3.00.

I was only 9 years old then and unaware of the show or either artist.

But just 3-1/2 years later, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers would be the first rock concert attended of my own volition--though accompanied by my dad--at a "free" show at the Rosemont Horizon, for which The Loop radio station gave away all the tickets.

The late TP remained one of my favorites, and I'd see him with the Heartbreakers several more times over the years.

It took a few more years for me to really know and appreciate Elvis Costello, but I was a fan by the mid-'80s and while living in Los Angeles in the early-'90s, I not only saw him live for the first time, I bought all of his then-available CDs in one fell swoop (beyond The Best of Elvis Costello & the Attractions compilation I already had).

Friday night was the 10th time I saw Costello onstage, mostly with the Imposters--who feature Danny Faragher on bass--including once opening for the Rolling Stones at Soldier Field on a freezing October night in 2006, as well as what was mostly a discussion & book signing (as part of the CHicago Humanities Festival), though he also played a few songs.

I wouldn't say I needed to see Elvis again at this just juncture, and didn't jump at tickets when they went on sale.

But enough seats remained available that--with the kind help of a friend willing to go to the Chicago Theatre box office on his lunch break even though he didn't attend--I was able to get a balcony seat for $38.50, without any Ticketmaster fees.

Costello is calling this the Just Trust Tour, explained as:

“The tour is entitled, ‘Just Trust’ in answer to the musical questions: ‘Will they play my favorite song?,’ or, ‘Are they going to frighten the horses with a lot of excellent songs that are rarely performed?,’ not to mention, ‘Can I expect the hits of yesteryear and those of tomorrow?’ To which we say: Just Trust Elvis Costello and The Imposters.” 

So--particularly in having seen via Setlist.fm that their performances this fall were fairly lengthy and included several songs I love--I trusted.

And was, almost entirely, richly rewarded.

Sure, I rued not hearing one of my EC favorites, "Brilliant Mistake," which was done the night before
in Ann Arbor.

"(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" and "Radio, Radio" are a couple others I wish hadn't been eschewed on this night.

But Elvis Costello, now 65--he was born Declan MacManus--has released 30 studio albums, most of which have several stellar songs.

So there's no way he's gonna play everything everyone hopes to hear. (This was the Chicago setlist.)

And he noted early on that the tour's two female backing vocalists--who also serve as a visual foil for the four male musicians--were both out of commission with the flu, so the band was going to play some things they often don't. (The women being gone seemingly put the kibbosh on material from 2018's fine Look Now album, as only "He's Given Me Things" was played from it.)

Starting with opening song "Strict Time," I heard several familiar tunes that I quite enjoyed, including a cherished rarity like "Big Tears," a great take on "Accidents Will Happen" powered by sublime piano from Nieve, likewise a truly wistful "Almost Blue"--though of course, some assholes couldn't help chatter during this most delicate of songs--and a blissfully extended "I Want You."

There were several other recognizable gems from throughout Costello's vast oeuvre--"Watch Your Step," "Mystery Dance," "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea," "Veronica," "This Year's Girl," "High Fidelity" and the aforementioned, "Watching the Detectives."

Encores of "Pump It Up," "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" and "Alison" were as blissful as one could want.

And including a few pairing just Costello and Nieve, songs I didn't readily know--such as "Stations of the Cross," "I Still Have That Other Girl," "A Face in the Crowd" and "Blood and Hot Sauce"--routinely sounded terrific.

So it was certainly a great show, clocking in at nearly 135 minutes.

But whereas I had awarded Costello gigs in 2017, 2014 and 2013 a full @@@@@ on my Seth Saith rating scale, this one felt somewhat disjointed and uneven at times--perhaps due to changes resulting from the missing vocalists--despite all the sensational music and some fun storytelling from Costello.

Hence, the 1/2@ deduction.

Certainly this is critical trifling, and with the singer seemingly in good stead and great voice after he had to cancel some summer 2018 shows due to cancer--from which he's seemingly fully recovered--I'm happy to report that some 42 years after first playing in Chicago* on a bill with the dearly departed Tom Petty, one can trust in the ever-enduring greatness of Elvis Costello.

His aim is still true.

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*Per Setlist.fm, Elvis Costello's first Chicago area concert seemingly came at B'Ginnings in suburban Schaumburg, two days before the show at the Riv that I referenced above, which was the first in Chicago proper. It was followed by another gig at the Riv the next night, apparently without Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. The 12/2/77 show was not Petty's first in Chicago.

Rummaging Through -- and Reshuffling -- 'Imperial Bedroom' with the Imposters, Elvis Costello Remains a Compelling Attraction -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Elvis Costello & the Imposters

Huntington Bank Pavilion

at Northerly Island, Chicago

June 12, 2017

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Though 40 years removed from the prickly punk who defied Lorne Michaels' order not to play "Radio Radio" on Saturday Night Live, as an artist intent to do things on his own terms Elvis Costello's aim remains true.

So while he joined many a legacy artist in touring with the promise of a classic album in full--The Joshua Tree, The River, Moving Pictures, The Wall and Songs in the Key of Life are among those I've seen performed--the man born Declan MacManus deviated from the norm by sprinkling songs from 1982's Imperial Bedroom among the 31 he played in sum, far from the original sequencing. (See the Chicago setlist on Setlist.fm)

Due perhaps to high winds that may have abbreviated the terrific 140-minute show just a bit, Costello even omitted two album tracks--"Little Savage" and "Town Cryer"--which seem to typically be played, along with Imperial Bedroom's 13 other songs, at most other tour stops. 

But I don't think many in the relatively small but clearly appreciative crowd minded this too much, as Costello and his backing band, The Imposters--featuring two of the original Attractions, pianist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas, plus bassist Davey Faragher and a pair of female vocalists--sounded fantastic along the lakefront. 

The quality of Costello's material--on this night comprised almost entirely of songs written before he turned 30, even though the 62-year-old has remained rather prolific--is quite estimable, but whomever ensured the acoustics would be so good at a makeshift outdoor venue on a night that was initially quite warm & humid and later ensnared by strong lake breezes also deserves a hearty round of applause. 

Costello often plays the far-more-pristine Chicago Theatre, and the Englishman astutely referenced that many in Monday's crowd likely missed his show there last October because it coincided with a Cubs World Series game. 

Guilty as charged. Unapologetically.

But while my six previous Elvis concerts dating back to 1991 are but a fraction of the 40-some of my friend Paolo, with whom I attended this one, I have long been a fan and was glad to find this show great in ways both consistent and unique. 

Though I haven't minded hearing cherished artists play great albums in full--and in order--the predictability sometimes seems stifling. 

So while it was a real treat to hear Costello play Imperial Bedroom songs that are far from concert staples--"Tears Before Bedtime," "Shabby Doll," "The Long Honeymoon," "Kid About It," "Pidgin English," "Boy With A Problem" and one of my all-time favorites, "Human Hands"--none of them felt rote, and the shuffling probably allowed each to shine a bit more individually. 

I also enjoyed how stage backdrop slides morphed the Picassoesque imagery from the Imperial Bedroom album cover--which was designed, as were several of his early records, by Barney Bubbles--onto the covers of other Costello albums, or presented otherwise cheeky designs tied to certain songs. 

And "Watching the Detectives" featured a run-through of many film noir poster images as Elvis and the band were largely shrouded in darkness. 

Although the show understandably left out some classic gems, "Accidents Will Happen" was an early highlight, "Pump It Up" a late one and a stripped-down "Alison"-- featuring Costello onstage with only backup singers Kitten Kuroi and Briana Lee--was absolutely blissful. 

Following "Alison" to open the encores, Costello performed a number of songs accompanied by the masterful pianist, Steve Nieve, with "Shot With His Own Gun" and "Talking in the Dark" being two favorites on a night of several.

I'm not sure why a few idiots in the crowd felt the mournful "Almost Blue"--which Elvis noted he had written for legendary trumpeter Chet Baker--was a good time to carry on loud conversations, but it too was a delight. 

I was somewhat surprised when Costello seemed to audible into "High Fidelity" after a final pair of wonderful Bedroom songs--"Beyond Belief" and "Man Out of Time"--and past the 2-hour mark with winds swirling, I wondered if that would close things out.

But Elvis indeed hadn't left the, um, impermanent outdoor pavilion. 

Bringing his crack band back for delectable versions of "Everyday I Write the Book," "Pump It Up," "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," Costello put an exclamation mark on an outstanding show. 

Not that it really matters, but for awhile I thought I might award @@@@1/2, for a show that was great but perhaps not transcendent. 

But at the end, with a legendary artist having sounded fantastic across nearly 2-1/2 hours, digging deep into his catalog on a beautiful night, I really couldn't find rationale to deduct any @.

After all these years, while showcasing Imperial Bedroom, Elvis Costello's aim remains true. 

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Not Gonna Get Too Sentimental, Elvis Costello Generously Explores His Career Universe at the Copernicus Center -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Elvis Costello

Copernicus Center, Chicago

June 11, 2014

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Oh, I just don't know where to begin. 

How about by noting that I've enjoyed the music of Elvis Costello since I first came to know it, likely in the mid-'80s.

The first album of his I owned was The Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions, but while living in L.A. in the early '90s, I binge bought every CD he had released to that point.

Including last night, I have now seen him live six times, and have continued to acquire most of the music he has made.

So it might seem like I'm a pretty big Elvis fan, but I can't say I have extensively explored his entire catalog all that regularly or recently.

My friend Paolo, who also attended the show at the beautiful Copernicus Center--formerly the Gateway Theater and now a focal point for Chicago's vast Polish community--has now seen Elvis Costello nearly 40 times.

Yet I'm sure there were also folks in attendance who had never been before attended one of his concerts.

I explain this in order to empathize with the difficulty an artist like Elvis Costello has in putting together a show that will please his full spectrum of fans.

It's natural to have an affinity for the songs we know best, and tunes like "Watching the Detectives,"
"Man Out of Time," "Radio Radio," "Alison," "Veronica," "Every Day I Write the Book" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" were certainly highlights, enhanced by Elvis performing them plaintively, onstage alone.

Yet I just as much relished hearing long-cherished songs considerably deeper among--or even beyond--his greatest hits: "Jack of All Parades," "Watch Your Step," "Little Palaces," "Suit of Lights," "King Horse," "Sneaky Feelings," "Shipbuilding" and "Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4," one of the most beautiful songs the man born Declan MacManus has ever written.

Still, there were a good handful of songs I--and even Paolo--didn't recognize. Thanks to the setlist in this post on UndergroundBee.com, I now know these to to include a couple songs from 2010's National Ransom ("A Slow Drag With Josephine" and "Jimmie Standing in the Rain"), a Richard Thompson cover ("The End of the Rainbow"), "Ascension Day," from Costello's 2005 The River in Reverse collaboration with Allan Touissant, "For The Stars," the title song from his 2001 collaboration with Anne Sofie van Otter and deep album cuts like "Ghost Train" (from Taking Liberties) and "Last Boat Leaving" (from Spike), which--along with "Shipbuilding"--dovetailed nicely with seeing Sting's new musical The Last Ship the night before.

(I was reminded that Sting and Elvis are pretty direct contemporaries from the poppier edge of Brit Punk, with their first singles--The Police's "Fall Out" and "Less Than Zero," which opened Costello's second encore on Wednesday--dropping just a couple months apart in 1977.)

Elvis also played--twice, once with an acoustic guitar, once with an electric--a brand new song called, "The Last Year of My Youth," which he recently debuted on Letterman upon pinch-hitting for Lana del Rey.

I can't say the lesser and unknown songs all tinkled my toes like those I knew and loved, but not only did I not find them a detraction, I actually admired Elvis more as an artist who complemented what a presumptive and divergent "we" wanted to hear with a selection of songs he wanted to present.

And I was happy to be reminded of tunes like "Either Side of the Same Town" (from 2004's The Delivery Man), which could well become a favorite with greater exposure. {Note: Song hyperlinks are to Spotify tracks.}

Especially given that Elvis Costello was on stage for just shy of 2-1/2 hours, I couldn't understand why certain imbeciles in the crowd felt compelled to gutterally shout song requests at him, as though he was working a piano bar. (At one point, he coolly responded to a screaming fan by saying, "Sorry, I'm speaking.")

And just as puzzling was a brief post-show conversation with a friend of a friend of Paolo's, who despite claiming to attend many concerts each month, found this one seemingly just so-so because he "didn't know a lot of the songs."

I certainly cop to curmudgeonly complaining about setlists that seem far too obscure and, as referenced above, such an opinion is formed differently based on one's level of fandom. 

But not only have I seen Elvis enough--most recently at an outstanding full-band show Paolo and I caught in Milwaukee in September 2012--that I didn't need to hear "Accidents Will Happen," "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" or "Pump It Up" yet again to find this show terrific, the way he introduced songs and switched up the instrumentation over 145 minutes made just about everything he played intriguing, even exciting.

Sans an opening act, Costello began the show with a string of songs on acoustic guitar including a wonderful intermingling of his "New Amsterdam" with The Beatles "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away."

And just upon me thinking that he wasn't being very verbose, he introduced "tonight's special guest: Me!" and, after sitting down with an acoustic, proceeded to regale to crowd with several anecdotes and multiple remembrances of his father and grandfather, both musicians.

He noted that his dad, who had been a radio dance band singer, had urged the young Declan to grow his hair, but Elvis recalled that he had "wanted to look like Roger Daltrey. But not the Roger Daltrey at Woodstock."

His acoustic rendition of "Man Out of Time," one of my favorite of his songs, was truly resplendent, followed by--on an electric employing wondrous feedback--"Watching the Detectives" and a main set closing "Everyday I Write the Book," which he said he wrote in 10 minutes and hated, but "it became a hit."

A superb "Shipbuilding" started the encores on electric piano, followed by "For More Tears," whose origins I still don't know.

After "Radio Radio," an acoustic "Alison" was absolutely sublime even though Elvis nearly botched the first verse, and luckily no idiots ruined the pin-drop silence that accompanied it.

Although the two encores comprising 14 songs combined classics and obscurities every bit as much as the main set, I especially loved hearing "Suit of Lights" and "Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4."

The second encore juxtaposition of Costello's first single, "Less Than Zero" with a reprise of his latest song, "The Last Year of My Youth," confirmed that--in "such a beautiful theater" now named for legendary Polish astronomer Copernicus--Elvis is happy to explore the full space of his astonishing career, even if it means not pulling out all the hits at every tour stop. (This outing will supposedly vary substantially from city to city; Milwaukee got another of my foremost favorites, "Brilliant Mistake" on Tuesday. Still, I have no complaints with what I heard.)

The crowd was rather raucously appreciative all night, and Costello quite gracious. And after closing a generous performance with "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," we all went home happy.

Or at least I did.

Though Paolo also gave this--his 38th or 39th Elvis Costello concert--a @@@@@ rating.

--
While Elvis Costello's performance was as good as I could have hoped, the unique venue made it even more special. I still remember going to the Gateway Theater as a kid, and though I'd been in the auditorium a few years back in attending Taste of Polonia on the grounds--where I, perhaps ironically, saw Elvis Presley impersonator Rick Saucedo--it was certainly a treat to see a legendary artistic in such a cherished place, which still has "stars" on its ceiling.