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| photo by Ida Miller |
Elvis Costello sure wasted no time sending fans into a
frenzy.
On April 5, the British rock veteran opened the 2 hour,
20-minute show at Riverside's Fox Performing Arts Center with "Watching
the Detectives," one of his best known tunes and first UK top 20 single in
1977.
Strolling out onto the stage with an electric guitar, Costello was
shrouded in darkness as he looped the eerie reverb-drenched sounds. It was
stunning as ever.
This solo Detour live jaunt had a brief US run last spring
before heading abroad (The Liverpool stop was documented on a recent Eagle
Vision DVD; also reviewed here). Finally making its way to Southern California,
the concert setup found Costello deftly utilizing acoustic and electric guitars
and piano. He occasionally told stories as a large old school TV projection
backdrop rotated family and career-related photos, plus lyrics and related
images).
Before a fast and frenetic "Accidents Will
Happen," Costello described his first American tour, staying at a Howard
Johnson and marveling at all the amenities uncommon back home. "In those
days, I tried to rid the world of alcohol...by drinking it all," he said.
Then the singer/songwriter humorously relayed the one-night stand lyrical
inspiration, familiar to those who read the 2015 autobiography Unfaithful Music
& Disappearing Ink. "I wanted to listen to The Buzzcocks on the radio,
she wanted Pink Floyd," he recalled.
Although it took the voice a little while to warm up,
Costello was in fine form during "Church Underground" (off 2010's T
Bone Burnett-produced "National Ransom") and a laid back
"Everyday I Write the Book." For the latter, he joked about hating
the song "because it only took 10 minutes to write and was a hit."
The audience engaged in some call and response action and vigorously cheered.
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| photo by Ida Miller |
Moving over to a piano Costello claimed to have borrowed
from wife Diana Krall, he described an early job as a computer programmer and
brought some measured drama to Los Lobos' "A Matter of Time." That
drew the first of many standing ovations.
For the first encore section, opening act Larkin Poe joined
on mandolin and lap steel. The sibling duo truly electrified the proceedings,
especially on a vibrant "Pads, Paws and Claws" and "Clown
Strike," where they added doo wop-styled backing vocals.
Their harmonies
during "Love Field" made it even more heavenly and helped make it a
standout. Another came via "Blame it on Cain," where the gals were
obviously having a blast. Everyone clapped along to Costello's rocking take on
Dinah Washington's 1953 R&B hit, "TV is the Thing This Year."
The next encore found Costello playing an affecting solo
electric guitar version of "Alison" inside the large TV and the dirty
guitar rave up "Pump it Up" was memorable - even without a full band.
Back on piano, Costello gave a passionate, gospel-type reading to "I Can't
Stand Up for Falling Down" and it was amazing.
More audience participation
arrived amid a fun "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes." Larkin Poe
returned for the final number, a punchy, bluegrass-leaning "(What's So
Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding."
Earlier, Rebecca and Megan Lovell kicked off the evening
with an impressive half hour set of blues-inflected Americana tunes off their
album "Reskinned," due out April 15. "Don't," a
self-described "girl power anthem," featured strong harmonies.
"When God Closes a Door" was definitely intense, especially with
Rebecca providing a single kick drum beat. The stark tone of "Blunt,"
about the Georgia sisters' view of the world right now, proved intriguing.
Gritty current single "Trouble in Mind" was a highlight. Larkin Poe
capped everything off with a fine cover of the Sonny Bono-penned, Cher-sung
"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)," making it their own with some
added drama.
Setlist: Watching the Detectives/I Hope You're Happy
Now/Accidents Will Happen/Ascension Day/Church Underground/Everyday I Write the
Book/45/A Matter of Time/Almost Blue/Walkin' My Baby Back Home/Ghost Train/Wave
a White Flag/When I Was Cruel #2/Less Than Zero
First encore: Pads, Paws and Claws/Love Field/Clown
Strike/That's Not the Part of Him You're Leaving/Blame it on Cain/TV is the
Thing This Year
Second encore: Alison/Pump it Up
Third encore: Side by Side/I Can't Stand Up for Falling
Down/Green Shirt/Mystery Dance/(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes/(What's So
Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding
Remaining US tour dates:
April 11 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
April 12 Salt Lake City, UT Kingsbury Hall
April 13 Jackson Hole, WY Center for the Arts
April 15 Boise, ID Egyptian Theatre
April 16 Eugene, OR McDonald Theatre
April 17 Bellingham, WA Mount Baker Theatre
April 28 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Jazz & Heritage
Festival
Aug. 27 Dana Point, CA Ohana Festival
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