Elvis Costello’s Sundance Channel show really is a perfectly packaged hour for music nerds. EC is an adept interviewer, and never shy about joining in the jam during his guest’s performance segments. As at the wrap party, last night’s Spectacle had Costello perform with Jenny Lewis on her Acid Tongue cut “Carpetbaggers.” Only this time Zooey Gibbard was there to side-step and to sing and to guarantee that you click to watch the videos below. The whole hour had nice overlapping themes: Elvis started with a spin through “Show Biz Kids,” explaining the evening’s guests had familial industry roots (Jenny, Zooey, Jakob Dylan), later discussing Matt Ward’s Acid Tongue guitar solos during a cute interview with She & Him. They talk favorite records and guitar playing; Matt mentions John Fahey’s work as having a revelatory effect on his right-hand technique, and earlier today we mentioned Fahey for having created the new Sonic Youth album cover. (If you’re new, I’ll save you the Wiki search.) You really should have this show on your DVR, so go set a season pass. And then watch the clips:
This vid has Elvis doing “Show Biz Kids,” followed by a Q&A with She & Him and Costello joining Matt and Zooey on “Change Is Hard.”
Here Elvis welcomes Jenny to the stage for a quick interview, followed by Matt taking a solo on Jenny’s “Pretty Bird.”
Finally, Zooey comes out to sing with Elvis and Jenny on Acid Tongue‘s “Carpetbaggers,” followed by “Go Away.”
Showtimes and more info are up at the Sundance mini-site.
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Elvis Costello + Jenny Lewis = Godly
wow: elvis doing steely dan. sounds like crap on paper but the king of america nailed it.
Agreed. Rickie Lee Jones does a great “Show Biz Kids’ too.
Is it just me, or is that jonathan rice playing backup guitar?
Why wouldn’t he be?
Probably is. He and Jenny are good friend.
It’s probably not as exciting news to the Stereogum crowd, but Jakob Dylan & Elvis Costello’s take on The Clash’s “Straight To Hell” from this same show became available for download yesterday via (RED)Wire. Performances from Costello’s ‘Spectacle’ have been making frequent appearances on (RED)Wire, & Jenny Lewis was part of their premiere issue, so I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the above performances becomes available for download in the months ahead.
Thanks for the tip! I thought the “Straight To Hell” performance was pretty impressive. Maybe Jakob Dylan is secretly awesome?
what a gang. Zooey and Jenny are due for a formal collaboration.
zooey plus jenny = massive indie boner
…just came.
Nice I thought the Clash cover was the best part.
“Zooey and Jenny are due for a formal collaboration.”
…IN MY BED!!
*high five*
4:21 you can totally see up her skirt.
Ha! Made you look!
sounds like she has a good voice, but she wasn’t really using it on that first song. i dunno
why does zoey always have that deer-in-the-headlights look when she’s singing?
If you were only on stage singing because you were:
A) Pretty
B) Moderately Famous
C) Had typical/ moderate talent
D) Fucking Ben Gibbard
E) Had friends who were in the biz
and were performing for Mr. Costello you’d be scared to.
Unfortunately, this empress is wearing clothes, but you get the gist
F) Had a gorgeous voice that was the highlight of the movie Elf
G) Wrote and recorded the excellent album Volume One as She & Him with M. Ward
H) had been performing as a musician for almost 10 years as part of cabaret act If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies
So these are three reasons why she looks like she’s reading a teleprompter written in swahili? because she’s talented and experienced?
I don’t buy what that girl’s selling for a minute.
At least Jenny has great stage presence and killer chops, albeit boring and predictable songs.
It’s certainly not her best performance. It looks to me like she was having trouble with monitors or something given that I’ve seen her perform before rather better than that, though I can’t say for sure. To say like flimflam did though, that she’s there purely because of her friends/partner is just ignorant. Check out She & HIm’s album if you don’t believe me.
More Zooey clips please. Gorgeous voices on both ladies. I say stick with the singing ladies> Your acting is good, but your voice are heavenly. .