For his
Imperial Bedroom & Other Chambers tour, Elvis Costello promised to revisit
selections from his 1982 album of the same name, as well as “the songs that led
in and out of that velvet-trimmed playhouse.” With an almost 40-year deep
catalog to pull from, Costello’s Saturday night show at The Chicago Theatre
proved to be an eclectic and dazzling trip through some of his deep album cuts,
big hits, and new, unreleased gems.
Impeccably backed
by his “second” band The Imposters (organist Steve Nieve, drummer Pete Thomas,
and bassist Davey Faragher), Costello played very few songs as they were
originally recorded, preferring instead to have as much fun with his songs as
he wanted. With his sly, wink-and-a-nod frontman face on in full force,
Costello led his band – as well as two incredibly soulful background singers
(Kitten Kuroi and Yahzarah) – through a 2 hour and 45 minute, 30-song, double
encore set that was anchored by almost the entirety of Imperial Bedroom. (For those keeping score at home, “Little Savage”
and “Boy with a Problem” were the only missing cuts from the album’s original
tracklisting).
It’s no
surprise that The Imposters were able to keep up with Costello’s twisting set
list and his playful reinterpretations, as Nieve and Thomas were a part of
Costello’s original band The Attractions, who recorded not only recorded Imperial Bedroom but have played with
Costello since his second album, This
Year’s Model. Faragher, who joined Costello’s band in 2001, not only
handled Costello’s earlier material with energetic expertise, but also
contributed some beautiful background vocals and created the stunning vocal
arrangements for Kitten Kuroi and Yahzarah.
After
kicking the show off with a soulful romp through “The Town Where Time Stood
Still,” Costello greeted the crowd - “Welcome to the Imperial Bedroom! We’ve
decorated the place up nice for you!” – and gestured to the giant video screen
behind them that shuffled through Costello’s album and singles artwork that had
been reworked to incorporate elements of the artwork from Imperial Bedroom. It was an incredibly cool touch that added an
additional element of surprise and playfulness throughout the entirety of the
show.
Song after
song, Costello and his band showed an unbelievable versatility in the genres
and moods they invoked. “Lipstick Vogue,” “Pump It Up,” and “(What’s So Funny
‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding” were played with a relentless punk fury,
while “Shot With His Own Gun,” “Almost Blue,” and “This House Is Empty Now” made
the room feel like a late-night hotel bar. “Tears Before Bedtime” and “The Long
Honeymoon” were marked by a slow-burn slink and some incendiary guitar solos
from Costello lifted “Shabby Doll” and “Pidgen English“ to intense heights. One
of the night’s most memorable moments came when Costello brought his background
singers to the front of the stage and the three of them sang a solo electric
version of “Alison” all around one microphone. Show-stopper “Watching the
Detectives” – with Costello awash in a green spotlight and the video screen
cycling through a variety of film noir b-movie posters – made for an
unforgettable crowd-engaging favorite as well.
After the
first full-band encore – an excited “Town Cryer” and a straight-ahead take on
“Everyday I Write the Book” – Costello came back out by himself to start the
second encore. Decked out in a purple top hat and carrying a snazzy scepter,
Costello asked, “Are you waiting for me to announce my candidacy?” He then
launched into a trio of new politically minded songs from behind the piano.
Written for an upcoming stage musical title A
Face in the Crowd, the three new songs – “Blood & Hot Sauce,” “Face in
the Crowd,” and “American Mirror” – built upon each other thematically,
lyrically, and musically; with Costello playing the first by himself, the
second with Nieve added on organ, and the third with his full band and singers.
After the batch of unreleased newcomers, Costello closed the night out with two
of his most raucous fan favorites, “Pump It Up” and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout)
Peace, Love, and Understanding” to uproarious approval.