Elvis Costello: An Art Never Lost

Elvis Costello
Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
04.26.15

In rare form, legendary music man Elvis Costello graced the stage of the Paramount on Sunday night, marking his 21^st appearance on a Seattle stage since 1978. Accompanied only by a ton of guitars, a giant television, and a small rocking chair, Costello took the Paramount crowd on a backwards journey through time, as his impressive arsenal of a catalogue was about to be unleashed over the next two and some hours. The man never stops… And Seattle was more than happy to oblige.

A gigantic vintage television was built on stage, and for the time leading up to the show, it entertained the audience with his old music videos playing back to back. A fond blast from the ’80s. The seated crowd, mainly composed of people in their forties and fifties, even took the opportunity to get in a little dancing before the start of the show. Their excitement culminated in a standing O at 7:09, as Costello took the stage and smartly said, “You can go home now, you’ve heard all the hits!” He addressed the audience after “Watch Your Step,” saying, “It’s a real pleasure to be back in this beautiful theatre, I feel like I live here… When I come out on stage each night, I try to think what I’m gonna play, and since we’re in Seattle, the city of love, I figured… to sing songs of fidelity (laughing).” He then prefaced “Accidents Will Happen” with a backstory of falling half in love with his cab driver on the way to Mexico in 1978. If there was anything this night was short of, which there’s not, it certainly wasn’t anecdotes or a great sense of humor.

Making his way to the piano for “Shipbuilding” and “I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down,” the crowd went wild as he took his seat. “You’re too excited,” Costello joked. Taking a different seat, a quaint porch chair, Costello brought a poignant sense of intimacy as he crooned and whistled his way through “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home,” sitting also for the four following songs. Joking all the while, he addressed everything from Tacoma residents to the Queen Mother. His unbelievable, unrelenting encore saw 13 songs split into 3 breaks from the stage. His second encore was played solely inside of the giant television, before moving back to the piano and the main stage to finish out his set. This show was a music lover’s dream, with Costello proving once again why he holds a spot in the Top 100 GOAT.

Elvis Costello Set List:
(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
Cheap Reward
Watch Your Step
Accidents Will Happen
Ascension Day
Church Underground
45
Green Shirt
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
Shipbuilding
I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down
Walkin’ My Baby Back Home
I Surrender, Dear
Ghost Train
Wave a White Flag
Beyond Belief
Watching the Detectives
Encore 1:
Veronica
When I Write the Book/Everyday I Write the Book (When I Write the Book – Rockpile cover)
Encore 2:
Alison
Pump It Up
TV Is the Thing (This Year) [Dinah Washington cover]
The Only Flame in Town
Encore 3:
Side By Side (Industry Standard cover)
I Believe to My Soul (Ray Charles cover)
My Three Sons
Brilliant Mistake
Jimmie Standing in the Rain/Brother Can You Spare A Dime?
(What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love and Understanding [Brinsley Schwarz cover]
Oliver’s Army