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The one with the short hair, skinny tie and coke-bottle glasses — that's him. Buddy Holly with a bone to pick? It almost could be; it's the same commanding presence backed with the authority of integrity. He's still vociferously outspoken — the man with the pointed pen and stinging guitar. He still takes stabs at the things he opposes — from heavy metal to political stances. He does the surprising and often unheard of — musically and conceptually. (Who else would put 20 songs on one LP or risk a complete departure from his established persona with a bold and unexpected country album?!) His well of talent and innovation appear inexhaustible. And it seems like that's just the beginning. Roll all this into one package and you've got Elvis Costello. Put Costello and the Attractions on the stage of Radio City Music Hall and you've got a controlled performance of unusual intensity.
The show opened with what seemed like a very restrained rendition of "Watch Your Step." But the Costello steamroller takes its power from precisely that deceptive low-keyed stance. And the steamroller ran full tilt — into the frenetic and ominous sounds of "Lipstick Vogue," through the spooky, film noir-ish "Watching The Detectives" and over to a slowed-down version of the current single "The Only Flame In Town." Done like an old dance band tune — the kind of slow song you'd grind to with your date — this interpretation proved once again Costello's gifted penchant for experimentation.
Throughout the 30-song set, Costello upheld his reputation for pursuing the unusual. First he'd lull the audience into the familiar homeground of classics like "Girls Talk," "Alison" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding." Then he'd throw in the well-placed zinger — a high-speed cover of the Byrds' "So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star" or an obscure but wonderful Ben E. King tune, "Young Boy Blues." Besides the classics and the zingers, there were plenty of cuts from the current LP Goodbye Cruel World — from the rollicking "Sour Milk-Cow Blues" and the barbed "Worthless Thing" to the stealthy "Inch By Inch" (which boasted a beautifully sneaky Pink Panther intro). But the song that really stood everyone on end was one of the encores — the poignant "Peace In Our Time." Played solo by Costello, with only a red spotlight and a portentious guitar for accompaniment, it drew the audience to a standing ovation at the close.
Costello's vocals, like his guitar, range from an almost-whispered croon to an attack. Bruce Thomas' bass can make almost any sound from a classic bouncing walk to a hive of angry low-voiced bees. Combined with the alternately manic and stunning keyboards of Maurice Worm (alias Steve Nieve), Pete Thomas' snappy drums and the dramatic sax of guest Gary Barnacle, it all added up to a performance which kept everyone rocking while the band steam rolled. The LP may be Goodbye Cruel World, but the show was definitely "Hello, Elvis!"
Opening the show was Costello's sometime-producer Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit (including ex-Squeeze member Paul Carrack on keyboards). A blend of rockabilly, boogie-woogie and rock 'n' roll, their 11-tune set ranged from the classy to the saucy. Lowe and Carrack shared the vocal chores, with Lowe singing cuts like "Stick It Where The Sun Don't Shine," "Raging Eyes" and his current bit of humorous fluff "Half A Boy And Half A Man." Carrack provided the heartfelt portion of the set with "Tempted," "How Long Has This Been Going On" and "I Need You" (complete with mock sobbing at the end). Except for the stiff-shouldered bopping of guitarist Martin Belmont, Lowe's show was regrettably restrained; unfortunately without the underlying power of Costello's performance. Even so, the band did succeed in catching the audience up in the fun they were having and priming it for a night to remember.
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