Death Cab, Fiona, Billie Joe Serenade Elvis Costello
The Philadelphia Inquirer reviews VH1 Classic's "Decades Rock Live" tribute to Elvis Costello, taped Friday at the "half-full, lousy-sounding Mark G. Etess Arena" in Atlantic City. The event featured Death Cab For Cutie, Fiona Apple, and Billie Joe Armstrong performing for and with Elvis.
The show was smartly conceived, the material well-chosen. Death Cab's Ben Gibbard came off like a dweeb by asking to restart a song because "I dropped my pick." That won't make the final cut. A forceful version of Costello's "Kinder Murder" and strummy duet on his own "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" will, deservedly so.Stereogum reader Steve was there and writes us that "It should have been Billie Joe Armstrong featuring everyone else based on the crowd reactions. I don't know how all of the teenage girls could afford the $85.00 ticket price."Death Cab represents the mild influence of Costello's verbally rich rock. Apple covers the dark side. Looking like a pint-sized Morticia Adams in a purple dress, she nearly stole the show from the gracious host she so obviously adores.
Costello made her gloriously good "I Know" his own. The two paired off on his "Shabby Doll" and her "Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song)," assisted by Imposters keyboard whiz Steve Nieve. The evening's highlight was Apple's hellacious interpretation of Costello's "I Want You," a song about obsessive, vindictive love. She knocked it out of the park.
Armstrong brought the crowd to its feet, joining with Costello on "No Action," an acoustic "Alison," and bruising "Pump It Up," as well as on the Green Day hits "Wake Me Up When September Ends," and "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)."
As with all the other guests, Armstrong's affection for Costello seemed genuine, and the admiration mutual. All the younguns came back for an encore of enduring songs none of them wrote: Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got a Hold on Me" and Nick Lowe's "(What So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?"
Anyway, sounds like something I would watch! And something I would pay to download. URGE, get on that. Until then, some Brutal Youth:
Elvis Costello - "Kinder Murder" (MP3 Link Expired)
Posted at 10:15 AM
Tags: Death Cab For Cutie | Elvis Costello
Elivs Costello > Elvis Presley
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i was there the other night and yes, it was half full and the crowd was pretty lame. maybe if the tickets weren't $85 to $100 a pop they might have had more of a crowd.
death cab just isn't a good (live) band, so their set was not enthusiastic (nor did it help they stopped halfway through a song to start over.. eek.)
fiona apple was great and really did a fantastic job with elvis costello's songs... and of course, most of the crowd was waiting for Billie Joe, but that might be in part because he played all of the uptempo songs such as "no action" "pump it up" "radio radio" as well as a few acoustic ones in between. it was the most balanced set of them all.
through it all, elvis was still the main event no matter who was on stage.
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Didn't Elvis write L,P & U?
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Nope, Steve. Nick Lowe (Johnny Cash's former son-in-law) wrote the tune, and the Elvis version was a b-side to one of Nick's singles, "American Squirm" shortly before reappearing on "Armed Forces." Not that you wanted that much detail, but there you go.
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Elvis Costello played a concert with the Brooklyn Philharmonic that was sponsored by Forest City Ratner. http://www.nolandgrab.org/archives/2006/05/ratner_bring_el.html
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Certainly someone somewhere has some MP3s of the Fiona duets
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whoever compared DCFC's lyrics to elvis costello's there should be shot
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I would love to hear a sultry Fiona Apple version of of Possession, my favorite EC track of all time.
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Elvis Costello is definitely the best Elvis.
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Like I said, it seemed like most people were there to see Billie Joe. As far as Death Cab restarting a song, it wasnt that big of a deal. They also played no action twice because billie joe messed up the words the first time. I was at the Bonnie Raitt Decades Rock thing with ben harper, norah jones, keb mo and allyson krauss, and they played one song 3 times until they got it right and each guest seemed to redo one song, so the EC show was a lot better paced because they only had to redo 2 songs. Also, the bonnie raitt tickets were $125 and it seemed sold out that night, so i wouldnt blame the ticket prices.
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Fiona love. She's a real artist.
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as i nearly 30-year costello fan, i must say it was a bit disappointing to see one of the guests (billie joe armstrong) steal the thunder from the star (EC). it was quite disconcerting to be amongst so many 13 year olds screaming like the beatles had been transformed into one black-haired pseudo punk.
but, in reality, fiona apple stole the show - both with her KILLER version of the king's "i want you" and with ec & the imposters version of her "i know" - easily the highlights of the night (and i knew exactly one song by fiona before friday night).
27 songs (including 'no action 2x) were played but sadly probably less than half will be aired. i'd be incredibly grateful to get any downloads from this show.
and, as someone inferred above, elvis costello IS the only elvis that matters.
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I agree that Elvis' version of I Know was one of the single most beautiful things I've heard. I can't imagine this doesn't make the show and I would KILL for this performance as an MP3.
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billie joe armstrong stole the crowd cause he's the best rock star in the world. i wish i could have gone just to see him
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I was there for the concert, and yes, I'll admit a lot of the girls there were there because of Billie Joe.
But his band is the biggest punk rock band in the world now.
He has a unique air about him, with the eyeliner and his Anti-Bush theme a lot of people are attracted. And it wasn't JUST thirteen-year-old girls. There were adults who knew and liked the songs he played.
I'll admit, I'm a biiiig fan of Billie Joe and Green Day. But I'm fifteen, I've grown up with them. But I knew all the Elvis Costello songs, all of them. And also, did you happen to notice that he picked singers/bands that were CUTE? Or, lots of people liked?
DCFC-A very cute band. Cute songs and just all around unnoticed and underestimnated cliched cuteness.
FA- Very talented and very pretty. She has a lovely prescence about her and a beautiful voice. She has wonderful songs and made EC's song sound very good.
BJA-Biggest rock band in the world right now. They sold 6.4 million copies of American Idiot in the US and UK alone. Billie is also very genuine and charming--Lottsa girls (And boys) adore him.
As for Billie messing up on EC's song. He wasn't obvious about it and ask to start over, he just kept playing. And no one noticed unless you were being a spiteful Elvis Costello fan.
All in all it was a wonderful concert and everyone really did a great job.
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I'm listening to the elvis costello and allen toussaint cd and noticed that "the river in reverse" was the new song EC and the Imposters played that night
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