Elvis Costello doesn’t let nostalgia hamper creativity at Riverside show
You didn’t think Elvis Costello would be into the whole “album in its entirety” thing, did you?
The English power-pop master is touring the United States this summer in celebration of the 35th anniversary of “Imperial Bedroom,” a risky venture that featured some of Costello’s most ornate arrangements and was rewarded with exuberant critical praise, if not exactly blockbuster commercial success.
Nothing wrong with looking back — Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith swung through Milwaukee on recent tours with exhilarating album retrospectives — although Costello isn’t one to dwell on a past episode. “Every Day I Write the Book,” he once famously sang, with recent chapters including a collaborative album with the Roots, recording for a Stephen King musical and participating in a Bob Dylan-inspired supergroup.
While Costello and his backing band the Imposters emphasized “Bedroom” for much of Sunday night’s two-hour-and-20minute Riverside Theater set, they didn’t bother with a slavish, song-by-song rendition, skipping over a couple “Bedroom” tracks and throwing in material from other albums along the way.
There was just enough of the requisite reminiscence to satiate expectations, including a breezy anecdote about the “Bedroom” recording sessions in London, where Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Alice Cooper and Duran Duran were all working at the time. Costello also recalled when he first saw the abstract, carnal “Bedroom” cover art, thinking to himself, “Oh (expletive).”
Costello’s distinctive whine hasn’t lost an inch of character over the decades. “Almost Blue,” with just Costello crooning over Steve Nieve’s noirish yet sparse piano, honored the sorrow of the original Sunday. And the band paid tribute to the Beatles, which heavily influenced “Bedroom,” by covering “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” in the middle of “… And In Every Home.”
Largely, though, Costello was keen to present “Bedroom” with a more modern context. At times, it was a bit forced, as with some winking between-song commentary that hinted at our turbulent sociopolitical climate, or a drawing on the stage’s big screen with messages reading “Stop the Deportations” and “Demonstrate” that didn’t quite connect with the material and consequently came off as preachy.
The best “Bedroom” arrangements conveyed bittersweet reflection, lending these songs about “heartbreak and misery,”as Costello cheekily defined them Sunday, with more emotional heft than the sometimes overly busy recordings allowed.
During “Tears Before Bedtime,” the band increased the tension by dialing back the music, allowing Costello’s surprisingly nimble vocals — and soulful flourishes by touring vocalists Kitten Kuroi and Brianna Lee — to come into focus. Costello also started “Shabby Doll” with inspired ‘60s psychedelic guitar rock that congealed into a roadhouse blues riffs after the second chorus, only to come unglued again before the song’s end.
Costello humored the audience with straightforward renditions of greatest hits “Pump It Up” and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding,” fit for a boisterous finale.
For “Alison” however, Costello offered a sparse rendition led by his yearning solo electric guitar, with Kuroi and Lee standing on either side of him singing into a lone microphone.
This “look back” also offered a look at two yet-to-be-released songs called “A Face in the Crowd” and “Stripping Paper.”
Both were presented in a basic format — Costello on piano with Kuroi and Lee singing backing vocals for “Crowd,” and Costello singing “Paper” with just Nieve on piano. They were rich performances nevertheless, thanks to Costello’s colorful vocals, lyrics and melodies.
How refreshing to see Costello, at 62, still thriving on creative impulses. At this point, fans wouldn’t expect anything less.