A day in the life of EC and the Imposters

[migdd]

Incredible . . .

http://www.examiner.com/x-16590-Manhatt ... s-Costello


About the time that Elvis Costello was taking the stage last Thursday night for a solo benefit gig in Purchase, N.Y., Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher, the respective drummer and bass player of his rock band The Imposters, were arriving at their Midtown Manhattan hotel, having flown in from their Los Angeles home base.

They immediately headed down to Zac Posen's star-studded 24-hour pop-up shop/Target collection launch party at The New Yorker Hotel, where girl group The Like, whose drummer is Thomas's daughter Tennessee Thomas (and whose promotional video for Posen's Target line was shown during the cab ride), was playing two sets.

Imposters keyboardist Steve Nieve arrived Friday morning, having caught one of the last flights out of Paris prior to Icelandic volcanic shutdown. Somewhere around 2 p.m. the three, along with an intrusive notetaker, piled into a van for the two and a-half hour drive to Atlantic City, where Elvis Costello & The Imposters had a 9 p.m. gig at Caesars.

Talk on the way was mainly catch-up between Nieve and the others, since the three hadn't played together since last fall (Thomas and Faragher have a country trio, Jack S**t, in L.A. and are in closer contact).

It was noted how well Faragher looked, considering how he nearly died in November from pericarditis and a pulmonary embolism. But he had to be in excellent shape, he said, to keep up with Costello rock shows: "They're so explosive," he said, then addressing his second role as backup singer, he added, "Elvis is such a great improvisational singer--you really have to chase him around the playground."

Thomas, meanwhile, was concerned that the volcano's aftermath might prevent a scheduled trip to England to visit his family--and see The Like. He thought he might stop over at some point to visit Nieve in Paris, where they might in turn visit fellow Brit Parisian Marianne Faithfull, whose band featured Thomas when she played New York in January.

Nieve mentioned, too, his forthcoming album, tentatively titled Duels And Jewels and made up of duets with the likes of Costello, Laurie Anderson, Vanessa Paradis, Robert Wyatt and Ron Sexsmith, to be released on of all labels, French indie Naïve Records.
They passed Costello's car half an hour out of Atlantic City, then pulled into Caesars shortly after 4 and went directly to the Circus Maximus theater stage--which Costello's crew had already set up--and dove straight into the night's set list. Costello arrived 20 minutes later, and after a few quick handshakes picked up his guitar, plugged in and fired away.

It was a chilly day, and chilly on stage, so Costello kept his pleated black jacket, red scarf, dark shades and black-and-gray plaid outdoorsman's cap on. Chopping away at his guitar, he looked like he'd just come in from chopping wood.

"Welcome To The Working Week," "Accidents Will Happen," "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea," "Mystery Dance," "Uncomplicated"…. The band hadn't been together in months, yet by the fifth song of soundcheck it was clear that the sold-out crowd was in for a treat. He took off his jacket but kept on the gray hoodie and roared through another dozen or so songs (the intrusive notetaker did his best, dutifully taking down "Every Day I Write The Book," "Clubland," "Monkey To Man," "Sulphur To Sugarcane," "Watching The Detectives," "Beyond Belief," "I Hope You're Happy Now," "High Fidelity," "Man Out Of Time," "Radio, Radio"--but he knew there was a hole or two or three or four in his list, having surrendered to the euphoria of experiencing a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist up so close and so exclusive). To borrow from Faragher, Elvis and The Imposters were explosive, indeed--and all the more remarkable considering the layoff. Then again, Costello, Thomas and Nieve have been playing together since 1977.

Anyway, it was after 6 now, and the band went their separate ways to rest, eat, and get ready for showtime. They regrouped by 8:30 in the band's dressing room behind the stage, loose but ready to go. Costello, clean-shaven for the time being, looked great in a gray suit, purple shirt and tie, and wide-brimmed straw hat. Having gone from heavy to thin, he's now in great shape--not to mention voice.

The intrusive notetaker remained intrusive during the show, but didn't take notes. But he couldn't have topped Twitter user dblduchess's (her handle a play on a line in the chorus of Costello's 1980 Get Happy!! album track "New Amsterdam") addendum to her retweet of his summation "Elvis and Imposters just great tonight in Atlantic City": "Amazing show! Incredible energy from both sides of the stage," which she submitted on the drive home to Long Island.

Costello, too, felt the band was great, "give or take a little rust from the singer and rhythm guitar player." He informed the notetaker that the name of the one new song in the set was "A Slow Drag With Josephine" and then it was off to bed early for all, since they had to get up at 6 a.m. for the drive to Philadelphia to catch a flight South: They would reconvene for lunch in New Orleans, then drive to Biloxi for another casino gig Saturday night.

Then Costello commenced a 10-day run with The Sugarcanes, his all-star roots-country band that's been backing him on shows supporting his latest album Secret, Profane & Sugarcane. They'll be at United Palace in New York--where Costello has a home--on Friday night. If there was one disappointment in his varied working week in the New York area, it was that he had no classical music gig scheduled to top it off. But he will perform solo with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas May 28 and 29--after reuniting with The Imposters May 15 at the Peppermill Casino in Reno.

[johnfoyle]

Dear God!

It was noted how well Faragher looked, considering how he nearly died in November from pericarditis and a pulmonary embolism. But he had to be in excellent shape, he said, to keep up with Costello rock shows: "They're so explosive," he said, then addressing his second role as backup singer, he added, "Elvis is such a great improvisational singer--you really have to chase him around the playground."

Good old Davey - he's survived The Curse Of Costello!

[Jack of All Parades]

"Welcome To The Working Week," "Accidents Will Happen," "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea," "Mystery Dance," "Uncomplicated"…. The band hadn't been together in months, yet by the fifth song of soundcheck it was clear that the sold-out crowd was in for a treat. He took off his jacket but kept on the gray hoodie and roared through another dozen or so songs (the intrusive notetaker did his best, dutifully taking down "Every Day I Write The Book," "Clubland," "Monkey To Man," "Sulphur To Sugarcane," "Watching The Detectives," "Beyond Belief," "I Hope You're Happy Now," "High Fidelity," "Man Out Of Time," "Radio, Radio"--but he knew there was a hole or two or three or four in his list, having surrendered to the euphoria of experiencing a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist up so close and so exclusive). To borrow from Faragher, Elvis and The Imposters were explosive, indeed--and all the more remarkable considering the layoff. Then again, Costello, Thomas and Nieve have been playing together since 1977."

That is simply amazing, having apparantly not been together in some time and to be able to pick up in a matter of minutes as if there had been no lapse in time--puts to rest for me this notion that these groups need a huge amount of rehearsal time. Equate it to the myth of spring training in Baseball.

[migdd]

Very true. I read somewhere in the past week or so that the rehearsals for the current Sugarcanes tour comprised exactly a day and a half in Nashville before hitting the road.

[The Gentleman]

I was totally unaware about Davey's situation-- glad he's okay now!

[The imposter]

"Welcome To The Working Week," "Accidents Will Happen," "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea," "Mystery Dance," "Uncomplicated"…. The band hadn't been together in months, yet by the fifth song of soundcheck it was clear that the sold-out crowd was in for a treat. He took off his jacket but kept on the gray hoodie and roared through another dozen or so songs (the intrusive notetaker did his best, dutifully taking down "Every Day I Write The Book," "Clubland," "Monkey To Man," "Sulphur To Sugarcane," "Watching The Detectives," "Beyond Belief," "I Hope You're Happy Now," "High Fidelity," "Man Out Of Time," "Radio, Radio"--but he knew there was a hole or two or three or four in his list, having surrendered to the euphoria of experiencing a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist up so close and so exclusive). To borrow from Faragher, Elvis and The Imposters were explosive, indeed--and all the more remarkable considering the layoff. Then again, Costello, Thomas and Nieve have been playing together since 1977."

That is simply amazing, having apparantly not been together in some time and to be able to pick up in a matter of minutes as if there had been no lapse in time--puts to rest for me this notion that these groups need a huge amount of rehearsal time. Equate it to the myth of spring training in Baseball.

Yeah, I think they're familiar with most of those tunes