CostelloNews.com

Elvis Costello and The Imposters
Santiago de Chile
October 21 2005

( Submitted by idle hands)

Primero la esposa y luego el marido y mentor. A seis meses del último concierto en Santiago de Diana Krall, ahora es el turno de la otra mitad de la familia. El turno de su célebre esposo Declan Patrick McManus, mejor conocido como Elvis Costello, que acaba de fijar su debut en Chile en el mismo escenario que encandiló a la rubia pianista canadiense: el parque Bicentenario.

No es exageración. La dulce voz femenina del nuevo jazz quedó encantada con su último paso por el país, en enero pasado, y de acuerdo a lo que aseguran hoy los productores de SB2 (responsables también del show de Norah Jones en el mismo sitio), fue ella "la que posibilitó la visita de Elvis Costello. Le habló maravillas del país y sus agentes ya nos han comentado que él está feliz con este recital en Santiago", fijado para las 21 horas del viernes 21 de octubre.

Con 28 años de carrera y 21 títulos publicados en solitario, el cantautor nacido en Liverpool llega al país en el marco de una gira por Sudamérica (con fechas comprometidas en Brasil y Argentina) y con nuevo álbum bajo el brazo: The Delivery Man, editado en septiembre del año pasado junto a la banda The Imposters y donde recupera una veta eléctrica y rockera interrumpida una década antes al asociarse en exitosos proyectos con el notable compositor estadounidense Burt Bacharach y hasta la misma Krall, con quién se casó en diciembre de 2003.

Costello, sin embargo, llegará sólo acompañado de los seis músicos que integran The Imposters. En total, se trata de una comitiva de 13 personas que arribará a Santiago un día antes del concierto y que alojará en el Hotel Ritz. La productora SB2, en tanto, reporta que las entradas se pondrán a la venta el próximo 15 de agosto en categoría de preventa y que, a partir del 15 de septiembre, comenzará la venta con los precios definitivos. Se espera la asistencia de cinco mil personas al debut de Costello en Chile.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Legendary english songwriter arrives with his band The Imposters to present Delivery Man, his latest record from 2004.

Elvis Costello has planned a concert in Santiago for October 21st.
After six months of his wife concert in the capital, the canadian pianist Diana Krall, the british rocker has just scheduled his debut in SouthAmerica.

The other elvis. Declan Patrick McManus - his real name- gained notoriety for the English version of She, a Charles Aznavour original, which featured on the 1999 film, Notting Hill.

First the wife and then the husband and mentor. After six months of Diana Krall's latest concert, now is the turn for the other half of the family. The turn of his well know husband Declan Patrick McManus, best known as Elvis Costello, who has just scheduled his debut in Chile in the same stage that fascinated to the blond canadian pianist: parque Bicentenario.

It's not an exaggeration. The sweet femenin voice of the new jazz was delighted in her last trip to the country, last january, and according to what the SP2 producers (responsible also for the last Norah Jones show in the same place), it was her "whom made it possible the visit of Elvis Costello. She spoke wonders of the country and his agents had already told us that his happy with this concert in Santiago", scheduled for friday october 21st, 21:00 hrs.

With 28 years of career and 21 albums published solo, the songwriter born in Liverpool as part of a Southamerican tour (with dates also in Brazil and Argentina) and with a new album: The Delivery Man, edited on september last year with the band The Imposters, where he recovers the electric and rocking vein interrupted a decade ago when he was associated in succesful projects with american composer Burt Bacharach and even Krall herself, whom she married in december 2003.

Costello, however, will be accompanied only by his six musicians that are part of The Imposters. In total, is a group of 13 people arriving to Santiago one day before the concert and staying in the Hotel Ritz. The producers SB2, in the meantime, say that the tickets sale will start on augost 15th as pre-sale and that, on september 15th, the final sale with definitive prices will start. The assistance of 5000 people is expected for the debut of Costello in Chile.

Posted by at 5:50 PM | Permalink

The Chicago Tribune comments -

Singing together into a single microphone bluegrass style, Elvis Costello and Emmylou Harris made the Ravinia Festival on Wednesday night feel like Sun Studios circa 1954 as they galloped through "Mystery Train," one of the songs that the other Elvis recorded at the birth of rock and roll.

The moment was an implicit tribute both to Costello's namesake and the music of the southern United States, a cornerstone of Costello's own songs that the British New Wave veteran has recently embraced with fresh enthusiasm. Costello and his band the Imposters recorded last year's "The Delivery Man" CD in and about the South, yielding the best record in the last 20 years of Costello's three-decades-and-counting career.

Whether it's due to his musical sources or his recent marriage to the significantly younger Diana Krall, the 50-year-old Costello clearly is rejuvenated. His epic three-hour performance for a capacity crowd was as energetic as his show at the Auditorium Theatre in April, while also being more focused.

The centerpiece of the show was a long string of duets with Harris, who paired her mountain stream-pure warble with Costello's bleating and braying on country classics by Merle Haggard, George Jones, the Louvin Brothers and Jimmy Martin, and a few of Costello's own like-minded songs ("Indoor Fireworks," "Heart-Shaped Bruise").

Given Harris' iconic stature in country music, she deserved more than the handful of solos she performed, but she made the most of them, turning in a rip-roaring "Luxury Liner" and elegiac "Pancho and Lefty." Although she's one of music's great duet singers, the 58-year-old Alabama native and Costello didn't always mesh, in part because her microphone was under-amplified.

At their best, though, the music was glorious, as Harris swathed Costello's wounded melodies like a gauze, particularly as they soared heavenward on "Wild Horses" in tribute to her early career mentor, the late Gram Parsons.

The mix of songs illustrated how much Costello has always been indebted to country music for its themes of betrayal and the bottle, its mix of stark fatalism and naked emotion, and above all its pure songwriting craft. Though he clearly loves the red states' music, he's just as clearly angered by their conservative culture and politics, as he finished his encores with the anti-war anthems "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" and "The Scarlet Tide."

There was no such ambivalence in the torrid rock music Costello and the Imposters performed to open and close his set as they mixed garage rock frenzy with old pro's finesse.

By the end, the aisles of normally staid Ravinia had become a dance party, and as Costello and Harris sang Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece," they weren't looking to the future, they were summing up the night.

Chicago Tribune

Costello and Harris country rock Ravinia

By Kevin McKeough
Special to the Tribune

Singing together into a single microphone bluegrass style, Elvis Costello and Emmylou Harris made the Ravinia Festival on Wednesday night feel like Sun Studios circa 1954 as they galloped through "Mystery Train," one of the songs that the other Elvis recorded at the birth of rock and roll.

The moment was an implicit tribute both to Costello's namesake and the music of the southern United States, a cornerstone of Costello's own songs that the British New Wave veteran has recently embraced with fresh enthusiasm. Costello and his band the Imposters recorded last year's "The Delivery Man" CD in and about the South, yielding the best record in the last 20 years of Costello's three-decades-and-counting career.

Whether it's due to his musical sources or his recent marriage to the significantly younger Diana Krall, the 50-year-old Costello clearly is rejuvenated. His epic three-hour performance for a capacity crowd was as energetic as his show at the Auditorium Theatre in April, while also being more focused.

The centerpiece of the show was a long string of duets with Harris, who paired her mountain stream-pure warble with Costello's bleating and braying on country classics by Merle Haggard, George Jones, the Louvin Brothers and Jimmy Martin, and a few of Costello's own like-minded songs ("Indoor Fireworks," "Heart-Shaped Bruise").

Given Harris' iconic stature in country music, she deserved more than the handful of solos she performed, but she made the most of them, turning in a rip-roaring "Luxury Liner" and elegiac "Pancho and Lefty." Although she's one of music's great duet singers, the 58-year-old Alabama native and Costello didn't always mesh, in part because her microphone was under-amplified.

At their best, though, the music was glorious, as Harris swathed Costello's wounded melodies like a gauze, particularly as they soared heavenward on "Wild Horses" in tribute to her early career mentor, the late Gram Parsons.

The mix of songs illustrated how much Costello has always been indebted to country music for its themes of betrayal and the bottle, its mix of stark fatalism and naked emotion, and above all its pure songwriting craft. Though he clearly loves the red states' music, he's just as clearly angered by their conservative culture and politics, as he finished his encores with the anti-war anthems "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" and "The Scarlet Tide."

There was no such ambivalence in the torrid rock music Costello and the Imposters performed to open and close his set as they mixed garage rock frenzy with old pro's finesse.

By the end, the aisles of normally staid Ravinia had become a dance party, and as Costello and Harris sang Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece," they weren't looking to the future, they were summing up the night.

Posted by at 5:45 PM | Permalink

The Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh comments -

There are no better live performers in rock at the moment than Elvis Costello. Even hemmed into a quiet country corner by his choice of touring partners, Costello delivered the goods for three electrifying, entertaining hours Sunday at the Chevy Amphitheatre, hitting the stage in savage rock mode with the great Pete Thomas pounding out the jungle beat on "Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)" and quietly putting the show to bed 37 songs -- and nearly as many hilarious introductions -- later with Emmylou Harris adding to the understated beauty of "The Scarlet Tide."

His touring partner made her first appearance 10 songs into what had started more as a conventional -- meaning brilliant -- Costello performance. Joined by two-thirds of the greatest backing band the world has ever known (and bassist Davey Farragher doing what he could to get us through Costello's feud with the mighty Bruce Thomas), he followed "Doomsday" with a souful, stretched-out "Clown Strike" (fueled by Sunday's MVP, Steve Nieve, on the Vox Continental), "Everyday I Write the Book" (with a new, improved chorus), "(I Don't Want to Go To) Chelsea," the acidic cocktail pop of "Clubland," a truly emotional reading of "Man out of Time" and a speed-trial performance of "Radio Radio."

At that point, Larry Campbell joined the band on pedal steel for "Country Darkness," one of several tracks from last year's "The Delivery Man" that came across in concert as an Elvis staple in the making. Boasting a looser, more natural groove than the studio version, it almost suggested The Band, unlike the song that followed -- a breakneck rendition of "Waiting for the End of the World" that sounded punk despite the fuzztone pedal steel.

They slowed things down when Harris joined Costello in a 12-song country segment whose highlights ranged from "Stranger in the House" to Harris doing George Jones nice and pretty on "One of These Days," a gorgeous "Sleepless Nights," "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down," "Indoor Fireworks," a seemingly impromptu performance of "Mystery Train," an aching version of "My Baby's Gone," "American Without Tears" and a rocked-out rendition of "Luxury Liner."

Harris left the stage at that point, and the shift in tone was radical, from the dissonant howl of Costello's guitar to a soulful, tortured yet frequently comic performance on vocals that found "The Delivery Man" emerging as the closest thing in Sunday's set to the missing-in-action "I Want You."

And the pacing didn't suffer from keeping the focus on last year's model, with a raucous three-song blast of "Bedlam," "Monkey to Man" and an "Uncomplicated"-worthy romp through "Needle Time" that found Costello torturing the neck of his guitar with a bottleneck slide and ending with "I feel so suicidal, even hate my rock 'n' roll." The next three songs came fast and furious, all played too fast but in a good way, from "Mystery Dance" to Hank Williams' "Why Don't You Love Me" and a "Pump It Up/Ain't That a Lot of Love" medley, ending the set with a soulful "Alison" that morphed into "Suspicious Minds."

When Costello returned for the encore with Harris in tow, he promised "We're just getting started" and then proved it with an eight-song encore that began with more Gram Parsons ("Wheels") and included a devastating -- dare I say newly definitive -- version of "Love Hurts," a ballad Harris used to sing with Parsons, in addition to the Stones' attempt at capturing the Parsons sound ("Wild Horses").

Other highlights of the encore ranged from Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece" to a spirited "(What's So Funny About) Peace, Love and Understanding" and the anti-war "The Scarlet Tide," marked by a venomous delivery of the line "Admit you lied and bring the boys back home."

....adds the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review -

extract
It wasn't quite a hoedown, but Harris' luminous presence allowed Costello to explore his longtime love affair with country music.

Those would be highlights enough for most shows, but a passing train prompted Costello to launch into an impromptu, magical version of "Mystery Train" with Harris. Supercharged versions of "Mystery Dance" and "Pump It Up" gave way to the sweet heartbreak of "Alison."

And still there was more: A nine-song encore featured covers of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses," "Love Hurts" and Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece," before Costello rolled out "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding" and the chilling "Scarlet Tide."

All this in almost three hours that no other artist save Costello could pull off.

The Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh

Concert Review:

Costello rocking trip included detour through country

Monday, July 25, 2005

By Ed Masley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

There are no better live performers in rock at the moment than Elvis Costello. Even hemmed into a quiet country corner by his choice of touring partners, Costello delivered the goods for three electrifying, entertaining hours Sunday at the Chevy Amphitheatre, hitting the stage in savage rock mode with the great Pete Thomas pounding out the jungle beat on "Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)" and quietly putting the show to bed 37 songs -- and nearly as many hilarious introductions -- later with Emmylou Harris adding to the understated beauty of "The Scarlet Tide."

His touring partner made her first appearance 10 songs into what had started more as a conventional -- meaning brilliant -- Costello performance. Joined by two-thirds of the greatest backing band the world has ever known (and bassist Davey Farragher doing what he could to get us through Costello's feud with the mighty Bruce Thomas), he followed "Doomsday" with a souful, stretched-out "Clown Strike" (fueled by Sunday's MVP, Steve Nieve, on the Vox Continental), "Everyday I Write the Book" (with a new, improved chorus), "(I Don't Want to Go To) Chelsea," the acidic cocktail pop of "Clubland," a truly emotional reading of "Man out of Time" and a speed-trial performance of "Radio Radio."

At that point, Larry Campbell joined the band on pedal steel for "Country Darkness," one of several tracks from last year's "The Delivery Man" that came across in concert as an Elvis staple in the making. Boasting a looser, more natural groove than the studio version, it almost suggested The Band, unlike the song that followed -- a breakneck rendition of "Waiting for the End of the World" that sounded punk despite the fuzztone pedal steel.

They slowed things down when Harris joined Costello in a 12-song country segment whose highlights ranged from "Stranger in the House" to Harris doing George Jones nice and pretty on "One of These Days," a gorgeous "Sleepless Nights," "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down," "Indoor Fireworks," a seemingly impromptu performance of "Mystery Train," an aching version of "My Baby's Gone," "American Without Tears" and a rocked-out rendition of "Luxury Liner."

Harris left the stage at that point, and the shift in tone was radical, from the dissonant howl of Costello's guitar to a soulful, tortured yet frequently comic performance on vocals that found "The Delivery Man" emerging as the closest thing in Sunday's set to the missing-in-action "I Want You."

And the pacing didn't suffer from keeping the focus on last year's model, with a raucous three-song blast of "Bedlam," "Monkey to Man" and an "Uncomplicated"-worthy romp through "Needle Time" that found Costello torturing the neck of his guitar with a bottleneck slide and ending with "I feel so suicidal, even hate my rock 'n' roll." The next three songs came fast and furious, all played too fast but in a good way, from "Mystery Dance" to Hank Williams' "Why Don't You Love Me" and a "Pump It Up/Ain't That a Lot of Love" medley, ending the set with a soulful "Alison" that morphed into "Suspicious Minds."

When Costello returned for the encore with Harris in tow, he promised "We're just getting started" and then proved it with an eight-song encore that began with more Gram Parsons ("Wheels") and included a devastating -- dare I say newly definitive -- version of "Love Hurts," a ballad Harris used to sing with Parsons, in addition to the Stones' attempt at capturing the Parsons sound ("Wild Horses").

Other highlights of the encore ranged from Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece" to a spirited "(What's So Funny About) Peace, Love and Understanding" and the anti-war "The Scarlet Tide," marked by a venomous delivery of the line "Admit you lied and bring the boys back home."

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Scenes from Arts-burgh

From staff reports
Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Offerings from Pittsburgh's cultural arts and entertainment events:

Elvis Costello/Emmylou Harris

The first sign Elvis Costello's concert Sunday at the Chevrolet Amphitheatre was going to be different came three songs in when "Every Day I Write the Book" was cast with an orchestral accent courtesy of Steve Nieve's keyboards. And while "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" and "Radio Radio" were classic Costello, another subtle change came when sideman Larry Campbell sat down to play pedal steel on "Country Darkness," setting the stage for Emmylou Harris' entrance two songs later.

It wasn't quite a hoedown, but Harris' luminous presence allowed Costello to explore his longtime love affair with country music.

Those would be highlights enough for most shows, but a passing train prompted Costello to launch into an impromptu, magical version of "Mystery Train" with Harris. Supercharged versions of "Mystery Dance" and "Pump It Up" gave way to the sweet heartbreak of "Alison."

And still there was more: A nine-song encore featured covers of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses," "Love Hurts" and Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece," before Costello rolled out "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding" and the chilling "Scarlet Tide."

All this in almost three hours that no other artist save Costello could pull off.

-- Regis Behe

Posted by at 7:45 AM | Permalink

Elvis Costello with Emmylou Harris & the Imposters
Rochester Hills,
Meadowbank
Oakland County
Michigan
July 26 2005

1. Hurry Down Doomsday
2. Clown Strike
3. Everyday I Write the Book
4. Chelsea
5. Clubland
6. Uncomplicated
7. Country Darkness
8. Happy at Teddy's
9. Stranger in the house
10. One of these days
11. Sleepless Nights
12. Tonight the bottle let me down
13. Indoor Fireworks
14. My baby's gone
15. Mystery Train
16. Sin City
17. Red Dirt Girl
18. American Without Tears
19. Luxury Liner
20. I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down
21. High Fidelity
22. You Really Got a Hold on Me
23. Monkey to Man
24. Needle Time
25. Mystery Dance
26. Pump it Up
27. Alison
28. Suspicious Minds
29. I Want You
30. Wild Horses
31. Wheels
32. Pancho & Lefty
33. Peace In Our Time
34. Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet
35. Love Hurts
36. When I Paint My Masterpiece
37. (Whats so funny 'bout) Peace, Love & Understanding
38. The Scarlet Tide

( Eztorrent)

Posted by at 7:39 AM | Permalink

Elvis Costello with Emmylou Harris & the Imposters
Chevrolet Ampitheater
Pittsburgh, PA
24 July 2005

Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
Clown Strike
Everyday I Write The Book
(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
Clubland - w. I Feel Pretty
Man Out Of Time
Radio Radio
Country Darkness
Waiting For The End Of The World
Stranger In The House - w. Emmylou Harris (EH)
One Of These Days - w. EH
Sleepless Nights - w. EH
Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down - w. EH
Indoor Fireworks - w. EH
Life's Companion - w. EH
Mystery Train - w. EH
My Baby's Gone - w. EH
Red Dirt Girl - EH on vocals
American Without Tears - w. EH
Luxury Liner - w. EH
The Delivery Man/The Butcher's Boy
Bedlam
Monkey To Man
Needle Time
Mystery Dance
Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)?
Pump It Up/Ain't That A Lot Of Love
Alison/Suspicious Minds
Encore 1
Wheels - w. EH
Wild Horses - w. EH
Heart Shaped Bruise - w. EH
Pancho And Lefty - w. EH
Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet - w. EH, Elvis & Davey on one mic
Love Hurts - w. EH
When I Paint My Masterpiece - w. EH
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? - w. EH
The Scarlet Tide - w. changed lyrics, w. EH

( Submitted by Linda McClintock )

Posted by at 7:37 AM | Permalink

The Reublican comments -

On March 1, 1978, while Elvis Costello was still in his "angry young man" phase, he played an unforgettable show at The Student Union Ballroom at UMass.

He left the stage in shambles and the crowd in a state of disbelief after a raucous set that ended abruptly after 40 frenzied minutes.

My, how times have changed. On Friday night, more than 27 years after that event, Costello played a show that may turn out to be just as memorable. Except this time, the ever-prolific songwriter played three full hours at the recently renamed Chevrolet Theatre (Wallingford) - formerly the Oakdale - with a group that included Emmylou Harris.

And the combination of Costello and Harris, while intriguing on paper, was mesmerizing in concert.

Before a crowd of approximately 2,300 fans, Costello, with his band The Imposters augmented by Harris, as well as Bob Dylan's masterful former multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell, offered fans a little bit of everything.

There was plenty of boisterous rock, deep country ballads, bar songs, blues and passion to spare. Decked out in a suit and blue tie, Costello kicked it up from the outset with a rollicking "Temptation," his voice sounding as strong as in his late '70s heyday.

The bespectacled British singer followed with "Clown Strike," and a series of other gems including a reworked "Everyday I Write the Book," "Country Darkness" and "Clubland," the latter which had a bit of "I Feel Pretty," tagged onto it.

After a ferocious "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea," Campbell emerged - looking like Dennis Eckersley's twin - to play pedal steel on a blend of "Waiting For the End of the World," and Van Morrison's "Gloria."

But as wild as the first part of the show was, it could not compare to when Harris took the stage. Striking, silver-haired and dressed in Western attire, she first sang a duet with Costello on Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone."

The country-lovin' Costello and the country legend Harris did 10 songs together during this portion of the night, including standouts such as George Jones' "One of These Days," Costello's "Indoor Fireworks," a swingin' take of Merle Haggard's "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" - which featured a honky tonk piano solo courtesy of Steve Nieve - and Gram Parsons' "Sin City."

After that extraordinary segment, Costello played with just his longtime mates, Nieve, drummer Pete Thomas and the relatively recent addition to the band, bassist Davey Faragher.

Together they rendered a dark version of "The Delivery Man," the title track from Costello's latest album, and picked up the tempo considerably for punk-fueled renditions of early Costello songs "Watching the Detectives" and "Mystery Dance," prior to a fully-fueled take of Hank Williams' "Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do)?" the vintage classic "Mystery Train," and an intense version of the drum-pounding "Pump It Up." He ended that segment of the night with his timeless ballad "Alison," then a revamped version of a gem by that other Elvis, "Suspicious Minds."

Still, the night was far from over. Harris returned for - get this - a nine-song encore with Costello. Keep in mind that this is a guy who used to barely play nine songs in some of his early shows. But the encores were absolutely exquisite, sparked by a beautiful cover of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses," Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho and Lefty," a three-part-harmony filled version of The Stanley Brothers' "Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet," a moving, full-band take of "Love Hurts," Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece," Costello's "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" and "The Scarlet Tide," the latter which the singer revamped with a stinging verse that said "Admit you lied, and bring the boys home."

All in all, 40 songs, the majority of them bloody brilliant. Costello's come a long way from 1978, but he's still got intensity, soul and restless energy to spare. This was one of the best performances he's ever staged in this region and the addition of Harris to his ensemble proved perfect. Here's hoping there's either a live album or DVD coming from this tour. This one deserves to be preserved.

The Republican

Costello, Harris phenomenal

Monday, July 25, 2005
By KEVIN O'HARE
Music writer

WALLINGFORD, Conn. - On March 1, 1978, while Elvis Costello was still in his "angry young man" phase, he played an unforgettable show at The Student Union Ballroom at UMass.

He left the stage in shambles and the crowd in a state of disbelief after a raucous set that ended abruptly after 40 frenzied minutes.

My, how times have changed. On Friday night, more than 27 years after that event, Costello played a show that may turn out to be just as memorable. Except this time, the ever-prolific songwriter played three full hours at the recently renamed Chevrolet Theatre - formerly the Oakdale - with a group that included Emmylou Harris.

And the combination of Costello and Harris, while intriguing on paper, was mesmerizing in concert.

Before a crowd of approximately 2,300 fans, Costello, with his band The Imposters augmented by Harris, as well as Bob Dylan's masterful former multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell, offered fans a little bit of everything.

There was plenty of boisterous rock, deep country ballads, bar songs, blues and passion to spare. Decked out in a suit and blue tie, Costello kicked it up from the outset with a rollicking "Temptation," his voice sounding as strong as in his late '70s heyday.

The bespectacled British singer followed with "Clown Strike," and a series of other gems including a reworked "Everyday I Write the Book," "Country Darkness" and "Clubland," the latter which had a bit of "I Feel Pretty," tagged onto it.

After a ferocious "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea," Campbell emerged - looking like Dennis Eckersley's twin - to play pedal steel on a blend of "Waiting For the End of the World," and Van Morrison's "Gloria."

But as wild as the first part of the show was, it could not compare to when Harris took the stage. Striking, silver-haired and dressed in Western attire, she first sang a duet with Costello on Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone."

The country-lovin' Costello and the country legend Harris did 10 songs together during this portion of the night, including standouts such as George Jones' "One of These Days," Costello's "Indoor Fireworks," a swingin' take of Merle Haggard's "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" - which featured a honky tonk piano solo courtesy of Steve Nieve - and Gram Parsons' "Sin City."

After that extraordinary segment, Costello played with just his longtime mates, Nieve, drummer Pete Thomas and the relatively recent addition to the band, bassist Davey Faragher.

Together they rendered a dark version of "The Delivery Man," the title track from Costello's latest album, and picked up the tempo considerably for punk-fueled renditions of early Costello songs "Watching the Detectives" and "Mystery Dance," prior to a fully-fueled take of Hank Williams' "Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do)?" the vintage classic "Mystery Train," and an intense version of the drum-pounding "Pump It Up." He ended that segment of the night with his timeless ballad "Alison," then a revamped version of a gem by that other Elvis, "Suspicious Minds."

Still, the night was far from over. Harris returned for - get this - a nine-song encore with Costello. Keep in mind that this is a guy who used to barely play nine songs in some of his early shows. But the encores were absolutely exquisite, sparked by a beautiful cover of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses," Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho and Lefty," a three-part-harmony filled version of The Stanley Brothers' "Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet," a moving, full-band take of "Love Hurts," Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece," Costello's "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" and "The Scarlet Tide," the latter which the singer revamped with a stinging verse that said "Admit you lied, and bring the boys home."

All in all, 40 songs, the majority of them bloody brilliant. Costello's come a long way from 1978, but he's still got intensity, soul and restless energy to spare. This was one of the best performances he's ever staged in this region and the addition of Harris to his ensemble proved perfect. Here's hoping there's either a live album or DVD coming from this tour. This one deserves to be preserved.

Posted by at 6:39 PM | Permalink

Elvis Costello with Emmylou Harris & the Imposters
Bank of America Pavilion
Boston
July 23 '05

Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
Clown Strike
Everyday I Write The Book
(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
Clubland - w. I Feel Pretty
Uncomplicated
Waiting For The End Of The World - w. Larry Campbell (LC)
Stranger In The House - w. Emmylou Harris (EH) & LC
One Of These Days - w. EH & LC
Sleepless Nights - w. EH & LC
Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down - w. EH & LC
Indoor Fireworks - w. EH & LC
Life's Companion - w. EH & LC
My Baby's Gone - w. EH & LC
Red Dirt Girl - EH on vocals, w. LC
American Without Tears - w. EH & LC
Heart Shaped Bruise - w. EH & LC
Luxury Liner - w. EH & LC
The Delivery Man/The Butcher's Boy
Bedlam
Monkey To Man
Country Darkness
Needle Time
Mystery Dance - w. LC
Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)? - w. LC
Pump It Up - w. LC
Alison/You Win Again/Suspicious Minds - w. LC
Encore 1
Wheels - w. EH & LC
Wild Horses - w. EH & LC
Pancho And Lefty - w. EH & LC
Nothing Clings Like Ivy - w. EH & LC
Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet - w. EH & LC
Love Hurts - w. EH & LC
When I Paint My Masterpiece - w. EH & LC
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? - w. EH & LC
The Scarlet Tide - w. EH & LC

( Submitted by Dave Farr )

Posted by at 6:35 PM | Permalink

On The Today Show Elvis changed the lyric to The Scarlet Tide. He initially sang it as

I thought I heard a black bell toll
Up in the highest dome
Admit you're wrong
Just bring the boys back home

The second time he sang:

I thought I heard a black bell toll
Up in the highest dome
Admit you lied
And bring the boys back home

( Submitted by And No Coffee Table)

Posted by at 5:44 PM | Permalink

The Boston Herald reports -

Folks arriving at the Bank of America Pavilion last night expecting an opening set by Emmylou Harris were shocked to see Elvis Costello & the Imposters boldly stride onto the stage promptly at 8 p.m., before the sun had set over the harbor.

More than 2 1/2 hours and some 35 songs later, they were still in shock, having witnessed one of the more schizophrenic, but terrific, concerts the town has seen in many a moon.

Things started off splendidly, with Costello and his band, one of the best in the business, setting off indoor fireworks with seven brutal rock 'n' roll songs, one after another in breathless rat-a-tat-tat fashion, including ``(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea,'' ``Everyday I Write the Book'' and ``Uncomplicated.'' The apocalyptic ``Waiting For the End of the World'' was an early triumph, with Costello saying he wrote it nearly three decades ago on the London Underground.

The near-capacity crowd was frenzied. Then, Harris, the finest harmony singer in popular music, appeared like an angel from the wings. An absolute stunner in zebra cowgirl boots and long silver hair, Harris' ``vocal stylings'' made every song better, whether it was a Costello original, her own ``Red Dirt Girl'' or knockout covers of country classics.

But folks sat down, showing respect more than a love for the music.

Multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell joined the fun to add oomph to the already muscle-bound Imposters, and Costello's expressive nasal bleat blended remarkably well with Harris' crystal-clear vocals. Recklessly fast versions of ``Luxury Liner,'' Merle Haggard's ``Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down'' and Hank Williams' ``Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do)'' drew ovations. But it was the quieter stuff that made the biggest impression: the Louvin brothers' ``My Baby's Gone'' and ``Sleepless Nights,'' which Harris first sang with her late partner Gram Parsons.

After 11 songs, Harris and Campbell were gone. Costello and company performed a batch of songs from the new ``The Delivery Man,'' with mixed results. The crowd stayed seated until ``Pump It Up'' and ``Alison,'' which drew a sing-along so loud it rocked the Pavilion tent - and included snippets of ``Suspicious Minds'' by that other Elvis.

Deadline forced an early exit, but the musicians were going strong at 10:45 p.m. Encore highlights included a terrific ``Pancho and Lefty'' by Harris and an inspirational version of the Stones' ``Wild Horses'' with great Costello/Harris vocals. Elvis and Emmylou are together only for a quickie two-week tour. It is a midsummer night's dream pairing.

The Boston Herald

Costello, Harris pump it up in Hub
By Bill Brotherton

Sunday, July 24, 2005

Folks arriving at the Bank of America Pavilion last night expecting an opening set by Emmylou Harris were shocked to see Elvis Costello & the Imposters boldly stride onto the stage promptly at 8 p.m., before the sun had set over the harbor.

More than 2 1/2 hours and some 35 songs later, they were still in shock, having witnessed one of the more schizophrenic, but terrific, concerts the town has seen in many a moon.

Things started off splendidly, with Costello and his band, one of the best in the business, setting off indoor fireworks with seven brutal rock 'n' roll songs, one after another in breathless rat-a-tat-tat fashion, including ``(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea,'' ``Everyday I Write the Book'' and ``Uncomplicated.'' The apocalyptic ``Waiting For the End of the World'' was an early triumph, with Costello saying he wrote it nearly three decades ago on the London Underground.

The near-capacity crowd was frenzied. Then, Harris, the finest harmony singer in popular music, appeared like an angel from the wings. An absolute stunner in zebra cowgirl boots and long silver hair, Harris' ``vocal stylings'' made every song better, whether it was a Costello original, her own ``Red Dirt Girl'' or knockout covers of country classics.

But folks sat down, showing respect more than a love for the music.

Multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell joined the fun to add oomph to the already muscle-bound Imposters, and Costello's expressive nasal bleat blended remarkably well with Harris' crystal-clear vocals. Recklessly fast versions of ``Luxury Liner,'' Merle Haggard's ``Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down'' and Hank Williams' ``Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do)'' drew ovations. But it was the quieter stuff that made the biggest impression: the Louvin brothers' ``My Baby's Gone'' and ``Sleepless Nights,'' which Harris first sang with her late partner Gram Parsons.

After 11 songs, Harris and Campbell were gone. Costello and company performed a batch of songs from the new ``The Delivery Man,'' with mixed results. The crowd stayed seated until ``Pump It Up'' and ``Alison,'' which drew a sing-along so loud it rocked the Pavilion tent - and included snippets of ``Suspicious Minds'' by that other Elvis.

Deadline forced an early exit, but the musicians were going strong at 10:45 p.m. Encore highlights included a terrific ``Pancho and Lefty'' by Harris and an inspirational version of the Stones' ``Wild Horses'' with great Costello/Harris vocals. Elvis and Emmylou are together only for a quickie two-week tour. It is a midsummer night's dream pairing.

Elvis Costello and Emmylou Harris last night at the Bank of America Pavilion, Boston.

Posted by at 10:40 AM | Permalink

Playbill reports -

( extract)
A recording of an appearance by pop star and composer Elvis Costello on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz radio show debuted on the Billboard Contemporary-Jazz Chart at number 16.

Paul Hardcastle Album Debuts at Number One on Billboard Contemporary-Jazz Chart
By Ben Mattison
23 Jul 2005

Hardcastle 4, the latest album from electronic-music producer Paul Hardcastle, debuted on the contemporary jazz chart this week at number one.

Also new to the chart was guitarist and producer Paul Brown's The City, at number eight.

Vocalist Lizz Wright's Dreaming Wide Awake, which topped the contemporary chart for the last two weeks, moved down to number two.

On the jazz chart, vocalist Michael Bublé's It's Time held the number-one spot for the 22nd week, with Paul Anka's Rock Swings at number two and Madeleine Peyroux's Careless Love at number three.

A recording of an appearance by pop star and composer Elvis Costello on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz radio show debuted on the chart at number 16.

Posted by at 6:47 PM | Permalink

Elvis talks to the Hartford Advocate -

( extract)

Elvis Costello isn't hemmed in by either styles or formats.

"The process is always in the process of changing," says the 50-year-old legend of New Wave. "I'm not thinking in terms of 'Will I write an album?' I'm thinking about that song I'm doing at the moment. When I was a little kid, we still had 78-r.p.m. records. Now there are DVDs. The frame keeps changing, and the same goes for the live show."

"Emmylou and I share a repertoire," Costello explains. "And The Delivery Man has a story going through it, with a beginning, a middle and an end. So we're trying build a [new] story that incorporates all of that."

Finding the right musicians for the project was easy: Costello used the Imposters, his back-up band since 2001, two of whose members, Pete Thomas and Steve Nieve, have been with him on and off since 1978's This Year's Model . "I don't know if you've seen them in a while, but the Imposters are as good a group as exists in the world today. It'd be ludicrous not to have them along."

Costello emphasizes the unusual format for this short tour. For starters, there's no opening act. Costello and the Imposters will do about 25 minutes on their own, then bring in Harris for a mix of her hits, some duets, songs from The Delivery Man , and even tunes that have yet to be recorded.

The touring life still seems to agree with Elvis Costello.

"Touring is what I do. If I were to lose sleep over whether my albums did well financially, I'd never sleep."

Next up for Costello is a three- character chamber opera about Hans Christian Andersen.

So he's done with country music?

Elvis Costello, constantly in motion, has already moved on. "You shouldn't assume all the songs in the repertoire [on this tour] are country. There are great harmony songs. There's a real rolling feel to it."

Hartford Advocate

Costello Country

Elvis Costello delivers the Delivery Man live and in person, with the legendary Emmylou Harris

by Christopher Arnott - July 21, 2005

His last few records include an album of songs co-written with Burt Bacharach ( Painted from Memory ), a return to his angry- young-man roots ( When I Was Cruel ), the Sinatra-esque torch song torpor North and his first full-length orchestral composition, Il Sogno . But Elvis Costello isn't hemmed in by either styles or formats.

"The process is always in the process of changing," says the 50-year-old legend of New Wave, in an interview with the Advocate . "I'm not thinking in terms of 'Will I write an album?' I'm thinking about that song I'm doing at the moment. When I was a little kid, we still had 78-r.p.m. records. Now there are DVDs. The frame keeps changing, and the same goes for the live show."

His latest project is The Delivery Man , a Memphis soul/Southern Gospel stew recorded in Oxford, Miss., featuring duets with Emmylou Harris (who's joining him on the tour that will stop July 22 at the Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford) and Lucinda Williams. The live show will feature the bulk of The Delivery Man , plus old songs by both Costello and Harris.

"Emmylou and I share a repertoire," Costello explains. "And The Delivery Man has a story going through it, with a beginning, a middle and an end. So we're trying build a [new] story that incorporates all of that."

Finding the right musicians for the project was easy: Costello used the Imposters, his back-up band since 2001, two of whose members, Pete Thomas and Steve Nieve, have been with him on and off since 1978's This Year's Model . "I don't know if you've seen them in a while, but the Imposters are as good a group as exists in the world today. It'd be ludicrous not to have them along."

Costello emphasizes the unusual format for this short tour. For starters, there's no opening act. Costello and the Imposters will do about 25 minutes on their own, then bring in Harris for a mix of her hits, some duets, songs from The Delivery Man , and even tunes that have yet to be recorded.

The touring life still seems to agree with Elvis Costello.

"Touring is what I do. If I were to lose sleep over whether my albums did well financially, I'd never sleep."

Next up for Costello is a three- character chamber opera about Hans Christian Andersen.

So he's done with country music?

Elvis Costello, constantly in motion, has already moved on. "You shouldn't assume all the songs in the repertoire [on this tour] are country. There are great harmony songs. There's a real rolling feel to it."

Posted by at 6:38 PM | Permalink

Elvis Costello and the Imposters with Emmylou Harris and Larry Campbell
Chevrolet Theatre
Wallingford, CT
July 22, 2005

1. Temptation
2. Clown Strike
3. Uncomplicated
4. Everyday I Write the Book
5. Country Darkness
6. Monkey to Man (Aborted)
7. Clubland
8. Monkey to Man
9. (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea
10. Waiting for the End of the World/ Gloria
11. There's a Story in Your Voice
12. I Still Miss Someone
13. Sleepless Nights
14. One of These Days
15. Indoor Fireworks
16. Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down
17. Crooked Line
18. Sin City
19. Red Dirt Girl
20. American Without Tears
21. Luxury Liner
22. The Delivery Man
23. The Butcher's Boy
24. Dust 2...
25. Watching the Detectives
26. Mystery Dance
27. Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do)?
28. Mystery Train
29. Pump it Up
30. Love That Burns
31. Alison/ Suspicious Minds
32. Wheels
33. Wild Horses
34. Pancho and Lefty
35. Heart Shaped Bruise
36. Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet
37. Love Hurts
38. When I Paint My Masterpiece
39. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?
40. The Scarlet Tide

( Submitted by David Elliott)

Posted by at 6:32 PM | Permalink

The TRIBUNE-REVIEW remembers past Elvis -

Elvis Costello hasn't exactly been a regular visitor to Pittsburgh.
In a career that dates back to the release of 1977's "My Aim is True" -- a brilliant marriage of punk anger and sophisticated songwriting -- Costello has only performed locally four times.

Perhaps the reason for his absence can be explained in a lack of a suitable venue to host his prodigious talents. Since his Pittsburgh debut at the Stanley Theater on Aug. 17, 1982, Costello has played the A.J. Palumbo Center on the campus of Duquesne University three times. And each time, Costello seemed irked by the venue's acoustics.

"Why don't you build a ... concert hall in this town?" Costello said the last time he was here, Oct. 10, 2002.

On Sunday, Costello gets to test drive his catalog at the Chevrolet Amphitheatre in Station Square, this time with Emmylou Harris guesting on vocals and the Impostors as his backing band.

To get ready, here's a look back at Costello's previous shows in Pittsburgh.

Stanley Theater, Downtown, Aug. 17, 1982

The buzz before the show seemed to be as much about Costello's behavior as the music itself. Early in his career, Costello could be a contentious performer, and some in the crowd speculated there would be some indoor fireworks. But on this night in Pittsburgh, he was nothing but a gentleman. Dressed in a jacket and tie, Costello and the Attractions were nothing short of breathtaking. He drew material from his then just-released album "Imperial Bedroom," but it was his early songs, from a haunting version of "Watching the Detectives" to an incendiary "Radio Radio" that brought the house down. At the end of the night, a beaming Costello kept holding his index finger in the air and miming the words "One more? One more?" before launching into another encore.

It might seem nothing could top that, but the next night The Clash brought the "Combat Rock" tour to the Stanley. Arguably, these are the best consecutive nights of rock concerts ever in Pittsburgh.

A.J. Palumbo Center, April 5, 1989

Nick Lowe opens the show with a solo set, followed by Costello's electric one-man show. Stripped down, Costello's songs seem more vituperative and angry, especially the opener, "Accidents Will Happen," and "Brilliant Mistake." Songs from his 1989 release, "Spike," including "Veronica," "Pads, Paws & Claws" and "Let Him Dangle," are good but hardly revelatory. It's when Lowe joins Costello for a second set that the concert draws fire, with memorable versions of the Lowe-penned "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" and "Pump it Up" among the highlights.

A.J. Palumbo Center, Aug. 11, 1989

Costello returns four months later with another backing band, the Rude Five, and again starts the show with a razor-sharp version of "Accidents Will Happen." But what's notable is the giant spinning wheel onstage divided into sections with songs titles. Audiences members give the wheel a spin, and the band launches into the song that comes up. It made for an eclectic show, the setlist including "Clubland," "Poisoned Rose," "Everyday I Write the Book" and a memorable version of "Radio Sweetheart" segueing to Van Morrison's "Jackie Wilson Said."

A.J. Palumbo Center, Oct. 10, 2002

Costello with the reformed Attractions, minus bassist Bruce Thomas, 20 years after they appeared at the Stanley, and except for receding hairlines and expanding waistlines it sounded as if weeks, not years, had passed. Newer songs such as "Tart" and "Doll's Revolution, held up well next to the deep and rich Costello catalog, including "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea," "Radio Radio," "Pump It Up" and, of course, "Accidents Will Happen." And the song troika of "Alison" giving way to "He'll Have to Go" to "Suspicious Minds" was everything you could possibly hope to hear at a rock concert in terms of emotive brilliance.

Posted by at 1:28 PM | Permalink

Elvis Costello with Emmylou Harris & the Imposters-
Tower Theatre
Philadelphia ,PA
July 20 '05

Temptation
Clown Strike/36-24-36
Everyday I Write The Book
Country Darkness
Monkey To Man
Needle Time
Waiting For The End Of The World - w. Larry Campbell (LC)
There's A Story In Your Voice - w. LC
I Still Miss Someone - w. Emmylou Harris (EH) & LC
Sleepless Nights - w. EH & LC
Indoor Fireworks - w. EH & LC
My Baby's Gone - w. EH & LC
Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down - w. EH & LC
American Without Tears - w. EH & LC
Sin City - w. EH & LC
Red Dirt Girl - EH on vocals, w. LC
Heart Shaped Bruise - w. EH & LC
Luxury Liner - w. EH & LC
The Delivery Man/The Butcher's Boy
(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
Clubland - w. I Feel Pretty
I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
High Fidelity
Alison/He'll Have To Go
Mystery Dance
Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)?
Pump It Up - w. LC
Encore 1
Wheels - w. EH
Wild Horses - w. EH
Pancho And Lefty - w. EH
Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet - w. EH
Love Hurts - w. EH
When I Paint My Masterpiece - w. EH
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? - w. EH
Encore 2
The Scarlet Tide - w. EH

(Submitted by Joe Lavery)

Posted by at 1:24 PM | Permalink

The New York Daily News comments -
(extract)

"Pity about it being so cold and all," Elvis Costello cracked toward the beginning of his Central Park SummerStage concert last night.
Or maybe it wasn't a crack. Despite the oppressive New York heat, the dapper singer was dressed in a jet-black suit, which he kept on for the entire two-hour-plus show, never betraying a hint of discomfort.

Steamy, sweaty nights call for steamy, sweaty music, and Costello provided just that, with a set that delved deep into country and blues.

He was aided in his efforts for much of the show by the singing and guitar playing of Emmylou Harris - who guest-starred on Costello's most recent album, "The Delivery Man," and who, more than 30 years ago, sang backup for one ofCostello's greatest musical idols, country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons.

The spirit of Parsons loomed particularly large during two songs closely associated with him, "Sleepless Nights" and the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses," both of which proved to be scintillating duet material for Costello and Harris.

The two singers also harmonized sweetly on several other country chestnuts, including Johnny Cash's "I Still Love Someone," Merle Haggard's "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down" and Hank Williams' "Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do)."

Harris got a chance to shine on her own "Red Dirt Girl" and "One of These Days," while guitarist Larry Campbell turned heads with his blazing fretwork.

Still, in the end, the night belonged to Costello and his three-piece band, the Imposters. Late in the show, during the outro of one of his biggest hits, "Alison," Costello started singing the words to "Suspicious Minds," made famous by another guy named Elvis.

Bassist Davey Faragher stepped to the mike to sing a stratospheric harmony part, and for a second, the temperature didn't seem all that bad.

Costello adds heat to swelter
By MAC RANDALL
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Wednesday, July 20th, 2005

"Pity about it being so cold and all," Elvis Costello cracked toward the beginning of his Central Park SummerStage concert last night.
Or maybe it wasn't a crack. Despite the oppressive New York heat, the dapper singer was dressed in a jet-black suit, which he kept on for the entire two-hour-plus show, never betraying a hint of discomfort.

The crowd that packed Rumsey Playfield might have been a little less comfortable than Costello, but the horrid weather certainly didn't keep anyone away.

Neither did the $60 ticket price, the highest in the history of the annual concert series. (Yes, we know, this was supposed to be a benefit for the purpose of keeping other SummerStage shows free. But judging by this year's schedule, the percentage of those no-pay nights is rapidly dwindling.)

Steamy, sweaty nights call for steamy, sweaty music, and Costello provided just that, with a set that delved deep into country and blues.

He was aided in his efforts for much of the show by the singing and guitar playing of Emmylou Harris - who guest-starred on Costello's most recent album, "The Delivery Man," and who, more than 30 years ago, sang backup for one ofCostello's greatest musical idols, country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons.

The spirit of Parsons loomed particularly large during two songs closely associated with him, "Sleepless Nights" and the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses," both of which proved to be scintillating duet material for Costello and Harris.

The two singers also harmonized sweetly on several other country chestnuts, including Johnny Cash's "I Still Love Someone," Merle Haggard's "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down" and Hank Williams' "Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do)."

Harris got a chance to shine on her own "Red Dirt Girl" and "One of These Days," while guitarist Larry Campbell turned heads with his blazing fretwork.

Still, in the end, the night belonged to Costello and his three-piece band, the Imposters. Late in the show, during the outro of one of his biggest hits, "Alison," Costello started singing the words to "Suspicious Minds," made famous by another guy named Elvis.

Bassist Davey Faragher stepped to the mike to sing a stratospheric harmony part, and for a second, the temperature didn't seem all that bad.

Posted by at 5:32 PM | Permalink

Elvis Costello with Emmylou Harris & the Imposters
Central Park
New York
July 19 '05

Temptation
Clown Strike
Every Day I Write the Book
Monkey to Man
Country Darkness
Needle Time

enter Larry Campbell
Waiting for the End of the World
There's A Story in Your Voice

enter Emmylou Harris
I Still Miss Someone
Sleepless Nights
One of These Days
Indoor Fireworks
My Baby's Gone
Tonite the Bottle Let Me Down
Nothing Clings Like Ivy
Red Dirt Girl
Heart Shaped Bruise
Luxury Liner

exit Larry and Emmy
The Delivery Man/The Butcher's Boy
Chelsea
Clubland w/I Feel Pretty

enter Larry
Alison/Suspicous Minds
Mystery Dance
Why Don't You Love Me
Pump it Up w/Aint That a Lot of Love

Encore 1
w/Emmylou and Larry
Wheels
Wild Horses
Pancho & Lefty
Gathering Flowers for Her Masters Bouquet
Love Hurts
When I Paint My Masterpiece
( Whats so funny 'bout)Peace Love & Understanding
The Scarlet Tide

( Submitted by elvicos01)

Posted by at 1:51 AM | Permalink

Elvis tells the New York Metro about Emmylou Harris -

"We’ve sung together on about four or five occasions I think now,” Costello tells me as we discuss the upcoming SummerStage show. He describes the scene last September when she joined him onstage in Memphis. “She lit up the club. When you’re in a hot, crowded club, the last thing you expect is that what the people are going to want to do is listen to a bunch of ballads, two or three of which weren’t even written by either of the artists on the stage. But you know, it’s absolutely magical how she completely changed the atmosphere.” Her singing, he says, has “some sort of persuasive power.”

Posted by at 6:59 PM | Permalink

Elvis Costello and The Imposters
Bue Festival
Buenos Aires
Argentina
October 29 '05

Posted by at 6:55 PM | Permalink

Elvis joined Lucinda Williams on stage in New York on July 15th , dueting on two songs , Changed The Locks and Jailhouse Tears.

Posted by at 6:51 PM | Permalink

Elvis Costello and The Imposters
Cornbury Music Festival
Charlbury
Oxfordshire
England
July 10 '05

Uncomplicated
Clown Strike
Everyday I Write The Book
45
Watching The Detectives
Country Darkness
Monkey To Man
(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
Clubland
Good Year For The Roses
The Delivery Man/The Butcher's Boy
I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
High Fidelity
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
Oliver's Army
Pump It Up
Encore 1
Either Side Of The Same Town
The Dark End Of The Street

( Submitted by William Munro )

Posted by at 6:48 PM | Permalink

Elvis Costello and The Imposters
Açik Hava Tiyatrosu
Istanbul Jazz Festival
Turkey
July 8 '05

Uncomplicated - with fragment of Wild Thing
Clown Strike
Everyday I Write The Book
Radio Radio
Country Darkness
Bedlam
Needle Time
Rocking Horse Road - with parts of She
(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
Clubland
Shipbuilding
Toledo
So Like Candy
Still
Almost Blue
Complicated Shadows
When I Was Cruel No. 2
Watching The Detectives
The Delivery Man/The Butcher's Boy
Monkey To Man
I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
High Fidelity
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
Oliver's Army
Pump It Up
Alison/Suspicious Minds
Encore 1
Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
I Want You
The Scarlet Tide
( Submitted by Joseph Pennington )

Posted by at 6:46 PM | Permalink

Elvis Costello with Emmylou Harris & the Imposters
Chastain Park
Atlanta,
July 17 '05

1. Temptation
2. Clown Strike
3. Everyday I Write The Book
4. Monkey To Man
5. Country Darkness
6. Needle Time
7. Waiting For The End Of The World - intro Larry Campbell on guitar and pedal steel
8. I Still Miss Someone - w. Emmylou Harris
9. Sleepless Nights - w. Emmylou Harris
10. One Of These Days - w. Emmylou Harris
11. Indoor Fireworks - w. Emmylou Harris
12. My Baby's Gone - w. Emmylou Harris
13. Red Dirt Girl - Emmylou Harris on vocal
14. Heart Shaped Bruise - w. Emmylou Harris
15. Luxury Liner - w. Emmylou Harris
16. Pump It Up/Ain't That A Lot Of Love
17. You Really Got A Hold On Me
18. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
19. Clubland - w. I Feel Pretty
20. The Delivery Man/The Butcher's Boy
21. Alison/Suspicious Minds
22. Mystery Dance
23. Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)?
Encore 1
24. Wheels - w. Emmylou Harris
25. Wild Horses - w. Emmylou Harris
26. Pancho And Lefty - w. Emmylou Harris
27. The Angel Of Death - Emmylou Harris on vocals
28. Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet - w. Emmylou Harris and Davey Faragher
29. Love Hurts - w. Emmylou Harris
30. When I Paint My Masterpiece - w. Emmylou Harris
31. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? - w. Emmylou Harris
Encore 2
32. The Scarlet Tide - w. Emmylou Harris

( Submitted by Bud Lowry/Mark Morgenstein/Greg Myrberg )

Posted by at 6:43 PM | Permalink

The State , South Carolina reports -

There is no good music or bad music. It’s all just music to Marian McPartland.

“Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz” — produced for its entire 26-year run by South Carolina’s ETV Radio — has allowed the 86-year-old jazz legend to share the radio stage with such greats as Shirley Horn, Burt Bacharach and Bobby Short. Two years ago, McPartland sat down to play with rock legend Elvis Costello. The resulting duets, which aired Sept.30, 2003, will be released on CD on Tuesday.

“I like what he’s doing now,” McPartland said of Costello. “He’s getting into a more straightforward way of singing.”

McPartland played the piano and Costello, who helped ignite the ’70s punk/new wave explosion, sang jazz standards.

Elvis and jazz? It’s not as far off as you might think. After all, he’s married to jazz sensation Diana Krall, and he has dabbled before in other genres, such as country and easy listening. But it doesn’t end there.

The Englishman’s mother was a jazz and classical records saleswoman and his father, influenced by imported jazz records from America, was a professional trumpet player and singer.

McPartland knew the elder Costello.

“It’s interesting to me that his father was a singer in an English band that I knew very well,” McPartland said. “He sang a song his father sang.”

That song, “At Last,” sits alongside Costello-written songs and standards on “Elvis Costello-Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz Radio Broadcast.”

McPartland said Costello was pleasant to be around.

“It was a lot of fun for me,” she said. “I don’t get to accompany anyone that often.”

“Piano Jazz,” which airs locally at 8 p.m. Saturday on WLTR-FM 91.3 and WRJA-FM 88.1, usually has McPartland trading sounds with other jazz musicians.

Meshing genres is something McPartland does to stay fresh. Her collaboration with Costello is similar to what she did with classic rockers Steely Dan.

Shari Hutchinson, who has produced “Piano Jazz” for 20 years, said she talked to McPartland almost every day.

When searching for guests, Hutchinson said, she and McPartland talked about Costello because of his jazz background.

“She was intrigued by his playing,” Hutchinson said. “She heard the jazz influences. He’s well versed and well grounded in jazz.”

McPartland hopes to release more CDs, including one with Krall. When asked why she continues working, McPartland said she was having fun so there was no need to stop.

She told Hutchinson exactly when she would be done with music.

“She said she’s going to bop until she drops,” Hutchinson said.

Posted by at 6:18 PM | Permalink

Zaman , Istanbul comments -

Elvis Costello dazzled fans at the Istanbul Jazz Festival Friday July 8. Singing hits of his 28-year music adventure, Costello charmed jazz lovers.

The most beautiful aspect of the Istanbul Jazz Festival is it presentation of not only jazz masters but also musicians inspired by jazz to music lovers. Istanbul swayed to Joan Baez in the summer of 2004 and last night Elvis Costello played jazz on his fans' heartstrings. The festival was original a "jazz" festival but Costello also sang his rock songs. With his energetic but melancholic voice, Costello belted out hits from as "New Wave" to "The Delivery Man". To discover Costello's musical fusion it would be enough to listen to a collection of his ten albums. He fuses sounds as he tries a different sound in each of his albums. Renowned as the most remarkable musician coming from Liverpool since The Beatles, Costello (he had composed a song with Paul McCartney as well) is also a very talented lyricist. Although he tries different sounds in his songs, he still keeps strong ties with traditional rock rhythms. Costello is a musician, could be eclectic to the musical genre of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. He never loses his signature lyrical style in his songs perhaps because his musical influences include The Beatles. Costello sand a song in tribute to his wife, the famous jazz vocalist Diana Krall.

Each concert by the famous singer's has a special atmosphere and memory. Listening to Costello and his group The Imposters was a novelty for Istanbulites.

Posted by at 6:12 PM | Permalink

Elvis has donated concert tickets and special experiences in an online auction for Music Clearing Minefields, an initiative of the United Nations Association's Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign.

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Maroon 5 and other music acts have donated concert tickets and special experiences in an online auction for Music Clearing Minefields, an initiative of the United Nations Association's Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign.

"Heather and I have worked hard to raise funds and awareness for Adopt-A-Minefield," McCartney said in a statement Tuesday. "We hope that through Music Clearing Minefields, others will become as impassioned about this cause as we are."

McCartney has donated VIP tickets to his sold-out fall tour to the online auction, which was set to go live Wednesday on the Charity Folks Web site. Coldplay, Meat Loaf, Avril Lavigne, Elvis Costello, Brian Wilson, Jack Johnson, B.B. King and others also have donated concert tickets and "meet-and-greets."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

' Elvis Costello

Get up close with these VIP tickets donated byElvis Costello for the Music Clearing Minefields Campaign. '

Date Time City Venue

Sun, 07/17/05 08:00 PM Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheatre

Tue, 07/19/05 06:00 PM Central Park - New York, NY Central Park Summerstage

Wed, 07/20/05 08:00 PM Upper Darby, PA Tower Theatre

Fri, 07/22/05 07:30 PM Wallingford, CT Oakdale Theatre

Sat, 07/23/05 08:00 PM Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion

Sun, 07/24/05 07:00 PM Pittsburgh, PA Chevrolet Amphitheatre At Station Square

Tue, 07/26/05 08:00 PM Rochester Hills, MI Meadow Brook Music Festival

Wed, 07/27/05 08:00 PM Chicago, IL Ravina

Fri, 07/29/05 08:00 PM Kettering, OH Fraze Pavilion

Sat, 07/30/05 06:00 PM Columbus, OH PromoWest Pavilion

Sun, 07/31/05 08:00 PM Vienna, VA USA Wolf Trap Filene Center

Posted by at 8:05 AM | Permalink

Elvis Costello and The Imposters
THE O'SHAUGHNESSY
Saint Paul, MN
Thu, Aug 4, 2005 07:30 PM

( Submitted by Jason Koffman )

Posted by at 7:54 AM | Permalink

Elvis Costello and The Imposters
Guests: The Brodsky Quartet,Rise Kagona
Kenwood House
Hampstead
London
England
July 2 '05

1. Temptation - Imposters
2. Clown Strike - Imposters
3. 45 - Imposters
4. Country Darkness - Imposters
5. Monkey To Man - Imposters
6. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea - Imposters
7. Clubland - with I Feel Pretty - Imposters
8. Good Year For The Roses - Imposters
9. Pills And Soap - Brodsky Quartet
10. Rocking Horse Road - with Wild Thing - Brodsky Quartet
11. Real Emotional Girl - Brodsky Quartet
12. I Almost Had A Weakness - Brodsky Quartet
13. The Birds Will Still Be Singing - Brodsky Quartet
14. Still - Brodsky Quartet and Steve Nieve
15. God's Comic - Elvis and Steve Nieve
16. Everyday I Write The Book - Imposters
17. Mystery Dance - Imposters
18. Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)? - Imposters
19. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? - Imposters
20. Oliver's Army - Imposters
21. Pump It Up - Imposters
22. Alison/Suspicious Minds - Imposters
Encore 1
23. The Scarlet Tide - Imposters and Rise Kagona, guest guitarist from Bhundu Boys
Encore 2
24. My Mood Swings - Brodsky Quartet
Encore 3
25. They Didn't Believe Me - Brodsky Quartet
26. Almost Blue - Imposters and Brodsky Quartet
27. God Give Me Strength - Imposters and Brodsky Quartet

( Submitted by Dr J/David Crozier/Alan Hildrew )

Posted by at 1:50 AM | Permalink

Elvis Costello and The Imposters
Werchter Festival
Werchter
Belgium
July 1 '05

01. Uncomplicated
02. Clownstrike
03. Radio Radio
04. Country Darkness
05. Monkey to man
06. Needle time (fast and slow)
07. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
08. Clubland/ I Feel Pretty
09. Good Year For The Roses
10. (What's So Funny 'bout)Peace , Love and Understanding
11. Oliver's Army
12. Pump It Up

13. Alison/Suspicious Minds
14. Hurry Down Doomsday
15. I Want You

( Submitted by sweetest punch)

Posted by at 1:46 AM | Permalink