I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: August 12, 2022] Elvis Costello and the Imposters 

For a number of years now I’ve wanted to see Elvis Costello.  His 1985 greatest hits album The Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions is one of my favorite albums of all time.  In addition to those sixteen songs, he has a dozen more songs that I like a ton as well.  He’s also written a million songs that I don’t know, but I’ve heard he always puts on a good show.  And with his new touring band The Imposters (very funny) I figured an evening with the band would be a good time.

I had wanted to see him back in 2013 when he played Morristown.  I don’t recall why I didn’t go (too expensive?) For that tour he played over 30 songs from throughout his career.

Plus, it was at Parx casino–not as far as Philly and comfy seats!

For this tour, Elvis had been playing with Nick Lowe and Los Straightjackets opening.  But there was no opening act for this show.  Which promised a bigger show, I thought.  But I was wrong.

I assumed we’d get a greatest hits show with lots of songs from A Boy Called If (which I didn’t know, but if single “Magnificent Hurt” was anything to go by, it would all be good rocking fun.  After all the tour was called A Boy Called If and Other Favourites.

And they started with “Accidents Will Happen.” which was a great sign.  It turns out they played a LOT of songs from Elvis’ early albums–three from My Aim is True, three from Armed Forces, and two from This Year’s Model.  But it also turned out that most of those songs were not exactly deep cuts, but were cuts that did not appear on the Best Of.

Now, “Green Shirt” is not a deep cut by any means, but it’s no “Oliver’s Army.”

I’d never even heard of his album The Delivery Man.  And I did remember when his previous album Hey Clockface came out, although I hadn’t heard anything off of it.  The band played the song “Hetty O’Hara Confidential” from Clockface.  The album version (I have since listen to it) is almost a beatbox and organ song.  But live, they turned into a lengthy old school jazzy story song.  Done with Elvis’ snide storytelling delivery, it was really captivating. Davey Faragher’s walking standup bass line was great and drummer Pete Thomas and keyboardist Steve Nieve fleshed out the song making it feel like we could have been in a smoky noir jazz club.

I vaguely recalled “American Gangster Time” (I guess I didn’t listen to the Momofuku album all that much).

Then he busted out a song I wanted to hear.  I enjoyed the fuzzy guitar he played Watching the Detectives which didn’t really sound all that much like the original.  His delivery was quite different from the album–deliberately slower and off beat as if he was trying to prevent people from singing along with him.

I get the impression that Elvis is a curmudgeon and this seems like a way he would like to give fans a hard time.

Speaking of surprises, Elvis played a really lengthy fuzzy guitar solo–like a couple minutes. It was pretty good and kind of fun.  I didn’t know he played suc a ripping guitar.  But it also seemed like a kind of “what are you gonna do about it?” to the audience.

Then he called out a surprise guest.  Certainly a surprise for us.  Nicole Atkins a singer who we talk about a lot because she has had two big hits on WXPN many years apart and we are always surprised that it’s the same person.  And then we were surprised to find out that she lives nearby.  And then further surprised that she came town for the show (although I see she has been touring with them for the whole tour, so not a big deal I guess).

She sounded great with him on the three songs they played together, even though I didn’t know them.

I do like the new songs, so it was fun to hear them live.  I’d have preferred to have heard them in between songs I knew, but that’s okay).  “Mistook Me for a Friend” and “The Boy Named If” are good solid Elvis rockers.

He followed that with two more classic songs that the old fans knew and were psyched to hear but which I only knew a little (again, songs from those early albums, but not on the hits).  It turns out that Greatest Hits album covers a few albums from the 1980s as well.

I was happy when he finally played “Magnificent Hurt.”  It’s a rocking song with a great riff and shows that his new stuff really holds up with his classics.  Like “Pump It Up” which really did rock the house.  The guy down the row from us starting banging on the seats with this song.  He was just one of the many many obnoxious people at this show.

I couldn’t BELIEVE how crappy the people were around us.  These tickets were not cheap.  Honestly, for how little show we got (no opening act and a fairly short set time overall) this show was hugely overpriced.  And the people around us talked through most of the songs.  Even the ones they liked.  This was the second terrible experience we’ve had at Parx.  It was a Friday night, so maybe people were starting their drinking early, but Jesus, it was ugly and rally ruined a lot of the experience for us.

I mean, I know that young Elvis was a bit of a punk, but this crowd was a bunch of drunks.

I fell in love with Elvis back in the day with his video of “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.”  I had no idea it was a cover back then.  I’m not sure when I found out it was a cover, but his version far outshines any version.  Although his live version was a little underwhelming I thought.

Throughout the night, there seemed to be quite a fuss about the band’s guitar player.  And then somewhere near the end of the night I found out he was Charlie Sexton, which I think was supposed to impress me.  I know I’ve heard of him (looking him up I see that I’ve hear a few of his songs and like “Cry Little Sister.”  I’m not sure if he’s a guitar god or what, but he was kind of acting like it, so maybe he is?

He ended the rocking part of the set with “The Man You Love to Hate,” a song that was just as fun as he made it sound.  Then they started “Alison.”  Although as with “Watching the Detectives,” he sang it a little differently almost a little more loungey or more slowly as if he didn’t want anyone to sing along with him.  It was a little disappointing I guess.

In fact, overall, the show was a little disappointing.  It was pretty short.  And of the songs, I really only got five songs that I was super psyched to hear.

Another reviewer of this tour pointed out that Costello had cancer treatment in 2018, which would likely have impacted some aspects of this tour.  But still, that would have no bearing on the setlist.

However, given the audience at the show and now the two performers seeming disdain for this articular venue, it is very unlikely that we will ever go back to Parx for a concert.

SETLIST

TAPE INTRO Surrender to the Rhythm (Brinsley Schwarz song)

1. Accidents Will Happen* ⊗
2. Green Shirt £
3. Either Side of the Same Town ⇒
4. Hetty O’Hara Confidential ⊕
5. American Gangster Time ϖ
6. Watching the Detectives* ♥ / Invisible Lady
7. My Most Beautiful Mistake ξ  (with Nicole Atkins)
8. Still Too Soon to Know ¥ (with Nicole Atkins)
9. You Belong to Me £ (with Nicole Atkins)
10. Mistook Me For a Friend ξ
11. The Boy Named If ξ
12. Party Girl ⊗
13. (I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea ♥
14. Magnificent Hurt ξ
15. Pump It Up* £
16. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding* ⊗ (Brinsley Schwarz cover)
17. The Man You Love to Hate ξ
18. Alison* ♥ (With “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”)   

ξ A Boy Named If (2022)
⊕ Hey Clockface (2020)
ϖ Momofuko (2008)
⇒ The Delivery Man (2004)
¥ Brutal Youth (1994)
⊗ Armed Forces (1979)
£ This Year’s Model (1978)
♥ My Aim is True (1977)