Milwaukee's Daily Magazine Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009
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  • mansiontwit:
    Sunday morning music: Bach or Mozart before the first coffee. The Smiths or Elvis Costello after coffee.

  • gaweiler:
    @foursquare - is there a way to log or check in from an event? For example; Lollapalooza, Summerfest, annual street festivals, etc

  • CTK1:
    Sorry that either Elvis Costello or Baby Stinky bothered you @jbridgman... I'll miss you.

  • lillynova:
    link : Elvis Costello – Honey Are You Straight Or Are You Blind, might use this one for burly?

  • kbeninato:
    Cool. @tracyleacarnes Sitting in the Riverside Hotel bar Ft Lauderdale, drinking alone and listening to Elvis Costello Allison! Cool or Sad?


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In Summerfest Guide Blogs
Costello & The Imposters pump it up as Summerfest prepares to tear down
It took Costello 70 minutes to get around to playing "Sulfur to Sugarcane."
By Bobby Tanzilo RSS Feed Twitter Feed
Managing Editor
Photography by Whitney Teska
E-mail author | Author bio
More articles by Bobby Tanzilo

What is a blog?  For us it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Published July 5, 2009 at 11:49 p.m.
Tags: summerfest, elvis costello, the imposters


Elvis Costello and the Imposters headlined the M&I Classic Rock on the south end of the grounds Sunday night as Summerfest 2009 came to a close. And Costello clearly took heed of the name of the stage when writing out the exactly two-hour set list.

In a career retrospective of a show, it took Costello 70 minutes to get around to playing "Sulfur to Sugarcane" -- the only song he'd play from his latest disc, "Secret, Profane & Sugarcane."

Perhaps that was not a major surprise, considering that with two long-time bandmates -- drummer Pete Thomas and keyboard player Steve Nieve -- and by now veteran sideman, former Cracker bassist Davey Faragher, in tow as The Imposters, Costello was primed to rock and "Sugarcane" is an acoustic Americana roots record produced by T Bone Burnett.

So, consider last year's "Momofoku" this band's latest outing and from it, they did three tunes, opening the set with "Stella Hurt" and adding "Turpentine" and "Go Away" later on.

Instead, the band focused on hits and deeper cuts from the Costello back catalog. It's easier to name the records up to 1987 not represented Sunday night -- "Get Happy!!!," "Almost Blue" and "Goodbye Cruel World."

From 1977's "My Aim Is True" Costello and company played "Red Shoes," "Waiting for the End of the World" and "Alison," which interpolated not only "Tracks of My Tears" and "Tears of a Clown," but also "Suspicious Minds." "Watching the Detectives" first appeared as a single after that disc.

"You Belong to Me," "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea," Pump It Up" and "Radio Radio" represented the "This Year's Model" era and "Accidents Will Happen" and "(What's So Funny Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" were drawn from 1979's "Armed Forces."

From "Trust," they played "Clubland" and from "Imperial Bedroom" the overflow crowd heard "Beyond Belief" and "Man Out of Time." An unusual arrangement of the familiar "Every Day I Write the Book" represented 1983's "Punch the Clock."

An electric version of "Brilliant Mistake" came from 1987's "King of America" and "Blood and Chocolate" from the same year provided "I Hope You're Happy Now" and "Uncomplicated."

The quartet also played "Monkey to Man" and "Bedlam" from 2004's "The Delivery Man" and "Radio Sweetheart," which Costello announced as the first song he ever recorded.

Costello and Nieve, especially, were clearly in a playful mood as the latter dithered with a theremin and quirky keyboard sounds that at time threatened to drown the show in novelty. Costello played rock god guitar, with lengthy solos that surprised even the longest, most die-hard fans.

On an extended version of "Detectives" Costello unleashed his inner Vernon Reid, playing a dissonant solo that had some shaking their heads in dismay and held others rapt.

Costello didn't chat all that much, but he did involve the crowd in a sing-along on "Red Shoes" and encouraged some rhythmic clapping. No, Sunday night, Costello was all business.

For those fans who love the rock and roll Elvis most of all, this show was a return to form and was much needed nutrition. Although he appeared at Summerfest two years ago, that was with New Orleans R&B legend Allen Toussaint (E.C. also opened for The Police here last year).

Sunday night's performance was Costello's first headlining Milwaukee rock show in years. And it sure felt good.



More Information ...
Henry Maier Festival Park
200 N. Harbor Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 273-3378
http://www.summerfest.com

5 comments about this article.
Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by jet on July 7, 2009 at 2:08 p.m. (report)

Bobby, there were indeed a couple earbleed inducing theremin moments Sunday night!

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Posted by Bobby Tanzilo on July 7, 2009 at 8:41 a.m. (report)

Thanks for the talkbacks! I intended to say (and added) that it was Elvis' first headlining rock show here in a long time. Headlining because it implies a full-length (in this case two-hour) set, which he certainly wouldn't have had time for in an opening slot. Also, thanks to Jet for the heads up on the theremin, which I don't entirely discount as an instrument. I just wish that it was perhaps more integrated into the mix on Sunday night.

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Posted by Stinky on July 6, 2009 at 11:20 a.m. (report)

This wasn't Costello's first rock show in Milwaukee in years. He opened for The Police last year and was FABULOUS! He was much better last year than this, yet still an amazing performer!

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Posted by jet on July 6, 2009 at 10:07 a.m. (report)

Good review... just to note that Elvis was at Summerfest last year opening for The Police, and I recall that show rocked pretty well. In addition, the Allan Toussaint show two years was not without its blistering moments, especially when Elvis opened with "What's So Funny... " and tore the roof off the place. Also, it's "theremin" not "theramin." As a fan of the man and the instrument, I just had to correct that.

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Posted by megster37 on July 6, 2009 at 9:12 a.m. (report)

Elvis opened for The Police at the Amp last summer. He rocked then!

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