Elvis Costello has such a huge catalog (30 studio albums and counting) and a memory that seems to have every song, no matter how obscure, tucked in some nook or cranny.
On Tuesday night, he pulled some of those deep, deep tracks out of that memory in his first ever show at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Playing alone on stage with either his guitar or a piano, Costello entertained the crowd with 29 of his classic songs, along with a few covers, in a nearly three hour performance.
While a number of the “hits” were included, he also dug deep pulling songs from a few of his lesser known albums like The Delivery Man and The River in Reverse. Surprisingly, he spent the most time on his 1982 album Imperial Bedroom, performing five of its songs, on more than his classic debut My Aim is True (and two more if you consider that Poison Moon was not on the original release). Four were also included from 2010’s National Ransom, although one of the four was a song recorded during the sessions but never released.
The set list:
Main Set
Jack of All Parades (from King of America, 1986)
King Horse (from Get Happy!!, 1980)
Either Side of the Same Town (from The Delivery Man, 2004)
Veronica (from Spike, 1989)
Last Boat Leaving (from Spike, 1989)
Poison Moon (from My Aim is True 1993 reissue)
New Amsterdam (from Get Happy!!, 1980) / You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away (Beatles cover)
Ascension Day (from The River in Reverse, 2006)
Everyday I Write the Book (from Punch the Clock, 1983)
Walkin’ My Baby Back Home (Nat King Cole Cover)
Ghost Train (b-side of single New Amsterdam, 1980; compiled on Taking Liberties, 1980)
Shabby Doll (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982) / Here I Am (Come and Take Me) (Al Green cover in tribute to Teenie Hodges)
You Turned to Me (from North, 2003)
Beyond Belief (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982)
Town Cryer (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982) / Time Out of Mind (Bob Dylan Cover)
Watching the Detectives (from My Aim is True, 1977)
Church Underground (from National Ransom, 2010)
Alison (from My Aim is True, 1977)
Encore
Shipbuilding (from Punch the Clock, 1983)
For More Tears (unreleased, recorded during the National Ransom sessions)
Come the Meantimes (from Wise Up Ghost, 2013)
The Last Year of My Youth (unreleased, first performed 2014)
I Want You (from Blood & Chocolate, 1986) / I Say A Little Prayer (Dionne Warwick/Aretha Franklin cover)
A Slow Drag With Josephine (from National Ransom, 2010)
Man Out of Time (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982)
Jimmie Standing in the Rain (from National Ransom, 2010) / Brother Can You Spare a Dime?
Encore 2
I’m in the Mood Again (from North, 2003)
Almost Blue (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982)
Less Than Zero (from My Aim is True, 1977)
(What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love and Understanding (from Armed Forces, 1979)
more from vvnmusic.com
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