Costello rocks in fusty venue
The New York Daily News reports -
Extract - But the high-mindedness of his "artist in residence"
stint at UCLA and his collaboration with the Brodsky
Quartet were forgotten when he launched into the
pogo-worthy riff of "I Hope You're Happy Now" and
"Radio Radio." Dedicated boomer fans ready to relive
their halcyon days quickly filled the aisles only to
be summarily ordered back to their seats by
no-nonsense Lincoln Center police.
But all security really needed to do was wait for
Costello to start playing his latest works. Though the
new tunes had grit, they were hardly the soundtrack to
a party.
The neo-Gothic song cycle tells the story of three
women in a small town who pin their hopes on a
delivery man.
Costello's description of one character, Vivian, was
the only sliver of levity. "She's pretty much a liar
and a drunk and a slattern into the bargain," he said.
"But we love her anyway."
Costello wrapped up his 145-minute performance with a
scathing version of the slow blues workout "Love That
Burns," then unleashed his full fury with a
crowd-pleasing combination of "Peace, Love and
Understanding," and "Pump It Up."
Costello rocks in fusty venue
BY ISAAC GUZMAN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Someone should just go ahead and give Elvis Costello a
plaque with the words "Renaissance Man" on it.
Maybe then he'd stop feeling the need to be so
relentlessly creative.
Last night, the master songwriter of the New Wave era
turned in his second of three performances at Avery
Fisher Hall.
As part of the Lincoln Center Festival, he and the
Imposters delivered a blistering set that comprised
his best-known hits, a few rarities and a good chunk
of new songs from an upcoming album - due in
September.
Two nights earlier, Costello and the Netherlands
Metropole Orkest performed a set of string-laden Big
Band pop songs.
Tomorrow, the Brooklyn Philharmonic will debut
Costello's first symphonic work, "Il Sogno."
But the high-mindedness of his "artist in residence"
stint at UCLA and his collaboration with the Brodsky
Quartet were forgotten when he launched into the
pogo-worthy riff of "I Hope You're Happy Now" and
"Radio Radio." Dedicated boomer fans ready to relive
their halcyon days quickly filled the aisles only to
be summarily ordered back to their seats by
no-nonsense Lincoln Center police.
But all security really needed to do was wait for
Costello to start playing his latest works. Though the
new tunes had grit, they were hardly the soundtrack to
a party.
The neo-Gothic song cycle tells the story of three
women in a small town who pin their hopes on a
delivery man.
Costello's description of one character, Vivian, was
the only sliver of levity. "She's pretty much a liar
and a drunk and a slattern into the bargain," he said.
"But we love her anyway."
Costello wrapped up his 145-minute performance with a
scathing version of the slow blues workout "Love That
Burns," then unleashed his full fury with a
crowd-pleasing combination of "Peace, Love and
Understanding," and "Pump It Up."
By punctuating two nights of ambitious new projects
with an evening of straightforward rock 'n' roll, he
put his protean talent into perspective and gave
frequently fusty Lincoln Center something to rave
about.
Originally published on July 16, 2004