Saw Elvis Costello at the Warfield last night. He was more singer/songwriter and less rocker/roller, and the set was essentially all encores, but it was still a good show.
But he did throw my rhythm off a little bit. After sixteen years of (at least periodically) seeing live performances, I've come to expect a certain protocol to encores. The first encore is three or four songs, maybe a couple of new songs. The second encore is one or two songs, usually one of your better known works (yeah, I got your birdhouse right here, right here in my soul.) Usually you leave it at that. If you have a third encore, it has to be your cover of 'Wild Thing.' You know you have one, just do it.
Speaking of which, X is coming to town, complete with Exene, John Doe and everything. Never did get to see them live.
Anyway, I respect Elvis and he earned the right to his own stage presence a LONG time ago. Nevermind the music, just his role in "Straight To Hell" earns him a lifetime Get Out Of Being Bitched Out By Your Fans card.
I know, you think "Straight To Hell" sucked. You're wrong.
Still, when you're getting into your fourth or fifth encore and you're whipping out the ukulele, all I'm sayin' is that my circadian rhythms are delicate things. That's all I'm sayin.
Posted by Jason at March 12, 2004 04:23 PM