100 Songs and (140!) More

April 18, 2023 1:26 PM

Elvis Costello performed 240 songs from his 600+ songbook over ten nights at the Gramercy Theater in New York from Feb. 9-22. Costello superfan (and comedian) Connor Ratliff brought us the highlights from every night of the historic run. Catch up on his reports from Night One, Night Two, Night Three, Night Four, Night Five, Night Six, Night Seven, Night Eight, Night Nine, and Night Ten.
posted by nicwolff (15 comments total)

Previous Connor Ratliff: Actor/Comedian Connor Ratliff (Search Party, Orange is the New Black) is attempting to watch and tweet about every Warner Bros. Road Runner/Coyote cartoon ever made.
posted by nicwolff at 1:26 PM on April 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

I used to love EC. Then I started to lose interest. Now I kind of like him but, I wasn’t impressed when I saw him last year. Not because of anything he did (in fact, I thought he was really cool) But the venue kind of sucked (Levitt Pavilion, Denver), It’s a great venue if you’ve got the money for the expensive seats, or you don’t really want to see the band at all. So I left when he started doing new material. Yes, I know I’m lame, I’ve learned to live with it.
posted by evilDoug at 1:46 PM on April 18, 2023 [3 favorites]

I have only clicked into this very briefly so far but I love the idea of the 10-night run, and I'm really enjoying Ratliff's approach:

I refuse to take notes during these shows, and likewise, I’ll leave the photo-and-video-taking to others. I’m trying to keep my smartphone in my pocket the whole time and appreciate the pure experience of being in the room, taking in the songs as a moment in time and absorbing them as they happen without worrying if I’ll remember every detail correctly.

It would be amazing if he put out recordings of these like they did with the Costello & Nieve dates.

It's going to take me a while to read all of these, but I am delighted to know they exist. Thank you so much for posting this, nicwolff!
posted by kristi at 2:52 PM on April 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

I don't know EC nearly well enough to say much about this except what an amazing experience to have if you're a superfan of someone! I hope he got a pillow.
posted by hippybear at 4:00 PM on April 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

Back in the day with the attractions and IIRC afterwards, EC had a giant gameshow wheel, called the fabulous spinning songbook or somesuch. He'd invite folks from the audience to spin the wheel and hang out on stage in a "lounge" while their song played. Usually three spins and then the band would play, rinse and repeat a couple of times. It kept the sets fresh and yet the audience would always know they had a chance to hear an old favorite or deeper cut.
I don't listen to EC so much these days, but having seen him a dozen or so times I remember his shows fondly. Sounds like this run was something special.
posted by OHenryPacey at 4:36 PM on April 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

I saw that tour! There was a standing set list and maybe 25% of the show was actually determined by the wheel, but every night was unique, with a unique set of set list songs, and some surprises much like during this multiple night stand. The part of the show that wasn't the standing set list but was determined by the wheel had slots like "band's choice" or some other thing the wheel could hit that wasn't a song title. It was a fun show, and it being a normal tour it hit all the high notes I needed it to for a more casual fan like me.
posted by hippybear at 4:46 PM on April 18, 2023 [3 favorites]

I'm not a huge Elvis Costello fan, but I think "My Aim is True" is an absolutely fantastic album and I like a lot of his early stuff. I'm admittedly unfamiliar with most of his later work. I was excited to have the chance to see him a few years ago for the first time when he toured with Blondie. We walked out during his set, not because he was bad, but because the sound quality was absolutely horrid. I was pretty bummed, and I don't know how that happens and/or isn't fixed by the second song. This sounds like a decidedly better experience.
posted by mollweide at 5:03 PM on April 18, 2023

Mrs. Underpants and I saw Elvis Costello at Windcreek, Bethlehem, PA, just after the ten night run. Apart from the venue being a sucky place for live artists to perform in (imagine aircraft hanger with lousy acoustics - low ceilings on the periphery lead to reverb and 'wompa wompa' sound effects), this was a wonderful blast from the past of EC doing his best to ensure his back catalog pension fund is retained (zero cynicism there btw). Also saw him mid 70s with a band called 'Flip City' at the very start of his career. Awesome then, lots of music kudos now...
posted by IndelibleUnderpants at 6:24 PM on April 18, 2023

I was at Night Seven, as a guest of a friend who plays with EC often. I'd have loved to be there Night One for "Imagination (Is a Powerful Deceiver)" which is one of my favorites and which he's only performed on stage five times; or for Night Nine to hear my friend, Michael Leonhart, interpret the trumpet part Chet Baker created for "Shipbuilding".
posted by nicwolff at 6:26 PM on April 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

I saw EC a couple years ago at the Orpheum in Madison. I've seen a fair few shows in my life, both as a civilian and as a stage hand, and it was one of the worst shows I've ever seen. The band was suffering from some viral infection and rather than come out, on stage, in front of 1000 or so people, and give it their all in spite of their infirmity as I've seen innumerable other, lesser acts, do,
they made the choice to just coast. No energy, no engagement and no actual attempt to put on a show. It lives on in my mind as the worst show I've seen. Out of over 1000 shows I've experienced, Elvis Costello was the worst. So there's that, It guess. Not sure why I'd subject myself to another.
posted by Floydd at 6:42 PM on April 18, 2023

Previously-ish
posted by Fupped Duck at 7:36 PM on April 18, 2023

Elvis Costello hovers somewhere below Joni Mitchell and Prince in my all-time songwriting hero pantheon, and I find something to love in (almost) all of his albums up to the present day ... but even I have to admit that the man's performing voice is just shot. I can't abide by his concerts anymore for that reason alone. Even so, this concert series stirred up wild jealousies from me on the West Coast. I expect he might sound better solo when not having to compete with his raucous band.
posted by mykescipark at 9:14 PM on April 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

I became a -huge- Connor Ratliff fan after JocoCruise 2022, and him doing George Lucas Talk Show, and Dead Eyes there. A local (to me) musician I really like, Brigid Kaelin, played with EC on night 2. Seeing her commenting on Connor Ratliff's stuff was one of those weird stream crossings that make the Internet so much fun.

I saw him live in Louisville several years ago, that show was great. Seeing so many bad show reports here surprises me. I'm guessing venue and vibes and the grind of long tours makes him a bit more of a gamble than I'd have guessed.
posted by DigDoug at 5:15 AM on April 19, 2023

Cool. I hadn't been following later Elvis quite as much as back in his prime, but he'll always have a way with words. (Get Happy is my personal fave album).

I Want You (11 min live version)
posted by ovvl at 8:25 AM on April 19, 2023

Elvis is my favorite.

Here’s the Spotify playlist

Not live, but still.
posted by chavenet at 1:46 PM on April 19, 2023