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February 12, 2009

Elvis Costello Fleshes Out His Spectacle With She & Him & Jenny Lewis

thumbnail icon: Elvis Costello Fleshes Out His Spectacle With She & Him & Jenny Lewis

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.

Posted at 2:24 PM by amrit in
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21 Comments

Elvis Costello + Jenny Lewis = Godly

Posted by: feedbackthudpucker at 02/12/09 3:55 PM | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

wow: elvis doing steely dan. sounds like crap on paper but the king of america nailed it.

Posted by: krup at 02/12/09 4:51 PM | Reply
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Scott

Agreed. Rickie Lee Jones does a great "Show Biz Kids' too.

Posted by: Scott profile link in reply to krup's comment at 02/12/09 5:09 PM | Reply
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Is it just me, or is that jonathan rice playing backup guitar?

Posted by: Joseph at 02/12/09 4:56 PM | Reply
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Why wouldn't he be?

Posted by: alex in reply to Joseph's comment at 02/12/09 6:10 PM | Reply
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Probably is. He and Jenny are good friend.

Posted by: Cody A in reply to Joseph's comment at 02/12/09 8:03 PM | Reply
Score = -2 Vote up Vote down
bandofrogues

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.

Posted by: bandofrogues profile link at 02/12/09 6:26 PM | Reply
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Thanks for the tip! I thought the "Straight To Hell" performance was pretty impressive. Maybe Jakob Dylan is secretly awesome?

Posted by: Adam in reply to bandofrogues's comment at 02/13/09 9:25 AM | Reply
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Solo Pat

what a gang. Zooey and Jenny are due for a formal collaboration.

Posted by: Solo Pat profile link at 02/12/09 7:05 PM | Reply
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zooey plus jenny = massive indie boner

Posted by: electric_wookie profile link at 02/12/09 7:22 PM | Reply
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...just came.

Posted by: I... at 02/12/09 8:13 PM | Reply
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Nice I thought the Clash cover was the best part.

Posted by: Me at 02/12/09 9:34 PM | Reply
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"Zooey and Jenny are due for a formal collaboration."

...IN MY BED!!

*high five*

Posted by: zxcvb at 02/12/09 10:36 PM | Reply
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4:21 you can totally see up her skirt.


Ha! Made you look!

Posted by: DJ Max Power at 02/12/09 10:43 PM | Reply
Score = -1 Vote up Vote down
Lochness

sounds like she has a good voice, but she wasn't really using it on that first song. i dunno

Posted by: Lochness profile link at 02/13/09 3:29 AM | Reply
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why does zoey always have that deer-in-the-headlights look when she's singing?

Posted by: frackjacket profile link at 02/13/09 12:13 PM | Reply
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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

Posted by: FlimFlam in reply to frackjacket's comment at 02/13/09 2:15 PM | Reply
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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


Posted by: offisapupp in reply to FlimFlam's comment at 02/13/09 3:56 PM | Reply
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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.

Posted by: frackjacket profile link in reply to offisapupp's comment at 02/13/09 5:39 PM | Reply
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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.

Posted by: offisapupp in reply to frackjacket's comment at 02/16/09 11:58 AM | Reply
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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. .

Posted by: go at 02/16/09 12:21 AM | Reply
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