CostelloNews.com

Costello shows his many musical faces
07/14/2003

BY ANDY SMITH
Journal Arts Writer

Like a zirconium under the lights on the Home Shopping
Network, Elvis Costello has revealed many facets to
his fans since he first burst onto the scene in 1977,
radiating anger in all directions.

Since then, he's not mellowed so much as expanded his
range, and we've seen Elvis the soul fan, Elvis the
pop craftsman, Elvis the crooner, even Elvis the
classical musician.

It's rare to hear Costello in a club these days, but a fortunate set of circumstances brought him to Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence for a pair of shows last night.

The first show felt a tad short at 85 minutes, but was
still packed with goodies.

Wearing all black, backed by longtime associates Pete
Thomas on drums, the indispensible Steve Nieve on
keyboards, and new bassist Davey Faragher, Costello
didn't spend time on a lot of chitchat.

He opened with a couple of scorching rockers "I Hope
You're Happy Now" and a tune from last year's album
When I Was Cruel called "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's
a Doll Revolution)."

Costello's expanded range is mostly a good thing, but
he's at his best when there's at least a little venom
in his fangs. Which there certainly was.

Mose Allison's "Everybody's Cryin' Mercy" slowed
things down some, but Costello made the most of the
trenchant lyrics ("Everybody's cryin' peace on earth,
Just as soon as we win this war.")

A guitar solo, drenched with reverb, and some
hard-hitting work by Thomas juiced up the song at the
end.

Costello might not have had much to say during his
set, but he was a showman nonetheless, getting the
crowd to clap along with the twangy riff that ran
through "Clown Strike" and having everyone sing along
to the old favorite "Pump It Up."

He also offered a new ballad, a soulful piece called
"Either Side of the Same Town," featuring harmonies
between Costello and Faragher on the choruses.

Then he teased the crowd with a very slow opening
before Thomas's drums kicked in and Costello roared
into "I Can't Stand Up (For Falling Down)."

For their encore, Costello & Co. charged through a
pair of old favorites, "Oliver's Army" and "Radio
Radio," barely pausing between them.

Next came an impassioned version of "Shipbuilding," an
antiwar song Costello wrote when Britain was fighting
over the Falklands.

Circumstances may have changed, but from the way
Costello was singing, his sentiments have not.

The show ended with Nick Lowe's "(What's So Funny
'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding," underlined by
Thomas's triphammer drums and Nieve's surging
keyboards. At the end of the song, Costello stopped,
let the cheers build up, then cranked up another
chorus, this time with the crowd singing along.

True, a few old Costello favorites were missing in
action -- "Alison," "Watching the Detectives" -- but
with a repertoire as large as Costello's, you can't
have everything. And to see him at a club was a
genuine treat.

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Online at: http://www.projo.com/music/content/projo_20030714_elvis.1f5d7.html