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As the Paramount Theater went to a dark, indigo purple, Elvis Costello set the tone for last weekend's Fall Equinox, and undoubtedly could have been said to be the cause for later fooling around that might have occurred after his "I Want You" ended his show. And if there weren't some damp undies in the Paramount, then those folks were not living, as Costello's soulful end to his second encore could easily have been the sexiest performance ever done at the Paramount.
Costello kept the audience rocking and brought many to their feet in adulation during his two and half hour (and a little extra, with the two encores) show last Sunday. The first part of his first set filled the auditorium like two freight trains set to music, as the band got into its groove, with some new pieces Costello said they had worked out on their world tour after last being in Seattle. He also wove in pieces from When I Was Cruel, and mellowed things down in the second set with the title song from that new release, as well as some well-known favorites like "What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding?" and some sweet, ballad-like numbers that got people whooping and hollering in delight.
But his piece de resistance, before "I Want You" was "Rough It Up," which had some people dancing in the aisles and shaking their stuff in their seats. And in between, he joked about the American Idol phenomenon, saying "...soon there'll be Seattle Idol and Tacoma Idol...," asking the audience if this was their time to consider becoming a star. This brought laughter from. most of the audience, as did his admonishment to the sound technician about "not kneeling at his feet, as if I'm some kind of God or something." An elegant, down and wicked blues, rock and soul extravaganza, Costello opened his show by having German yodelling that sounded like something from Wagner's The Ring, which played over loudspeakers, before the band came on stage. An opening that promised much and delivered plenty and then some.
But, before all of this delight, Phantom Planet, a new band from L.A., opening for Costello, even doing a convincing cover of a Costello song from his early days. Comprised of four young guys on guitar and bass, serving as the front men, and a drummer, the band kept a driving pace, leaping about and off the stage, then back on the stage to keep the rocking going. And rock these guys did, with an abandon not seen since the early days of The Who, or bands like Guns and Roses.
This continuous show, complete with their own humorous asides, set the tone for what was to come with Elvis Costello and The Imposters. Undoubtedly humbled by their lucky break as opening act for Costello, these guys were a delight to behold and one hopes this gem of an opportunity will catapult them to the fame and notoriety they definitely deserve. One heck of a concert, last Sunday will be forever emblazoned, with red ribbons and glitter in this reviewer's mind, as it certainly will for all who were present.
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