Saw Elvis in Houston last night, forgot to write the setlist down, so I'm working from memory here. I'm sure someone can correct me after the fact. ('Cause I know I'm out of order towards the end)
You Belong to Me
Uncomplicated
Party Girl
Beyond Belief
Radio, Radio
Country Darkness
Needle Time
Hidden Shame
Blame it on Cain
Chelsea
New Lace Sleeves
Clubland
Good Year For The Roses
Everyday I Write The Book
Kinder Murder
When I Was Cruel
Watching the Detectives
Monkey To Man
The Delivery Man
Either Side of The Same Town
Mystery Dance
Pump It Up
There's a Story in Your Voice
Why Don't You Love Me? (Like You Used To Do)
Peace Love and Understanding
Alison/Suspicious Minds
Scarlet Tide
Or something like that...the set clocked in at about 1hr 50min. Personal highlights were New Lace Sleeves and Clubland, with Steve absolutely nailing the piano parts. Elvis' voice seemed a bit shaky, but it held up even after the parts of songs that he sang away from the microphone.
Looking forward to seeing him on Wednesday night in Austin at La Zona Rosa for SXSW.
-Will
Houston notes
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mood swung
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guidedbyvoices
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Set looks about right from my memory.
Here's my thoughts. I've been a fan of Elvis since in middle school I saw him do Veronica on SNL. And as a lifelong music fan, this concert was my 100th concert to go to (of any band, not 100 elvis concerts!). And it's my birthday this week (a spring chicken of, wait, 32?). And I scored front row tickets in the presale. I've had really good seats to show before - 3d row last time EC was here, within 5 rows for Pearl Jam, Radiohead, etc. But never front row.
So Tift Merritt came out, and no one even clapped as she walked on stage (granted she got no mentions in the advertising) and a few songs in someone yelled "what's your name?!". She did her job, but only her last song, a quiet duet really did it for me.
Elvis came on and the crowd was still pretty restrained, at least up in my row. Party Girl was sooooo nice, so after the song when he walked right in front of my seat, I just walked up there to shake the man's hand. My wife just rolled her eyes, like "you're such a nerd!"
So the last Houston show, during the Judgement, 2 guys just walked up to the stage, and when no one stopped them, people left their seats, and it was like a great general admission show. being 3d row, I was able to get pretty close. This time, during Radio Radio, my wife swears it was the same guys. This time security shooed them off one by one, but since security = 2 guys, when 3 people were dancing, they couldn't really stop it. And after the song, Elvis announced that it's a rock & roll concert, do whatever ya like, so my wife and I bang zoomed to the front just one or 2 people to the left of Elvis, hands resting on stage all night. Jesus H. Seeing him bug his eyes out during certain lines for effect, or being able to hear him ask Pete if he wanted to give New Lace Sleeves a try, or making eye contact while singing along to songs you listen to so much, what a show. For me, an Elvis concert is like every album - some songs I could do without, some favorites, a surprise, a song you've never noticed before just hitting you in the chest (the last Houston show I couldn't believe I'd never noticed how amazing Party Girl was), but he's such a good performer, it doesn't bother me when he plays songs I don't love (I'm not a huge fan of the new album for instance). And for all the talk of how rough his voice was, I thought it was pretty great. He didn't shy away from notes. I loved the different arrangement of Every Day I Write The Book, and he sang New Lace Sleeves with some new melodies in the 2d verse.
Highlight of course has to be Scarlet Tide. My first EC show was the Nieve tour in 99, and I had last row seats. hearing Couldn't Call It Unexpected un-mic'd in the back row was one of those concert highlights that sticks out over 100 concerts. But with Scarlet Tide, being up front where he's singing in softer voice (can't imagine the back rows heard it), it was such an intimate moment that blows Expected away.
My only gripes are that I'd love to have heard Blue Chair, Next Time Round, and definitely Our Little Angel, but New Lace Sleeves and Roses are 2 favorites that I never thought I'd hear, so who cares!
Here's my thoughts. I've been a fan of Elvis since in middle school I saw him do Veronica on SNL. And as a lifelong music fan, this concert was my 100th concert to go to (of any band, not 100 elvis concerts!). And it's my birthday this week (a spring chicken of, wait, 32?). And I scored front row tickets in the presale. I've had really good seats to show before - 3d row last time EC was here, within 5 rows for Pearl Jam, Radiohead, etc. But never front row.
So Tift Merritt came out, and no one even clapped as she walked on stage (granted she got no mentions in the advertising) and a few songs in someone yelled "what's your name?!". She did her job, but only her last song, a quiet duet really did it for me.
Elvis came on and the crowd was still pretty restrained, at least up in my row. Party Girl was sooooo nice, so after the song when he walked right in front of my seat, I just walked up there to shake the man's hand. My wife just rolled her eyes, like "you're such a nerd!"
So the last Houston show, during the Judgement, 2 guys just walked up to the stage, and when no one stopped them, people left their seats, and it was like a great general admission show. being 3d row, I was able to get pretty close. This time, during Radio Radio, my wife swears it was the same guys. This time security shooed them off one by one, but since security = 2 guys, when 3 people were dancing, they couldn't really stop it. And after the song, Elvis announced that it's a rock & roll concert, do whatever ya like, so my wife and I bang zoomed to the front just one or 2 people to the left of Elvis, hands resting on stage all night. Jesus H. Seeing him bug his eyes out during certain lines for effect, or being able to hear him ask Pete if he wanted to give New Lace Sleeves a try, or making eye contact while singing along to songs you listen to so much, what a show. For me, an Elvis concert is like every album - some songs I could do without, some favorites, a surprise, a song you've never noticed before just hitting you in the chest (the last Houston show I couldn't believe I'd never noticed how amazing Party Girl was), but he's such a good performer, it doesn't bother me when he plays songs I don't love (I'm not a huge fan of the new album for instance). And for all the talk of how rough his voice was, I thought it was pretty great. He didn't shy away from notes. I loved the different arrangement of Every Day I Write The Book, and he sang New Lace Sleeves with some new melodies in the 2d verse.
Highlight of course has to be Scarlet Tide. My first EC show was the Nieve tour in 99, and I had last row seats. hearing Couldn't Call It Unexpected un-mic'd in the back row was one of those concert highlights that sticks out over 100 concerts. But with Scarlet Tide, being up front where he's singing in softer voice (can't imagine the back rows heard it), it was such an intimate moment that blows Expected away.
My only gripes are that I'd love to have heard Blue Chair, Next Time Round, and definitely Our Little Angel, but New Lace Sleeves and Roses are 2 favorites that I never thought I'd hear, so who cares!
we have powerlines in our bloodlines
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mimimartini
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GBVoices, thanks for the great account!! It's been awhile since I've bothered trying be front and center at an Elvis show. The last 3 shows I've caught have all been general admission but we still tend to go for front row balcony seats rather than stand during the whole show (gettin' old, I guess!). Your account reminded me how thrilling it can be to be so close as to be able to hear the band interaction and facial expressions. Next show, I might just make the effort to get a little closer to the action!!
Thanks again!!
Thanks again!!
http://happykatie.typepad.com/dailies/2 ... in_li.html
happykatie writes -
So the Elvis Costello concert was at the Verizon Wireless Theater last night and I'm still floating. While seeing the Imposters at Austin City Limits was certainly the highlight of that weekend, they simply didn't have enough time to properly showcase their extreme musical genius.
I was pleased by everything - the black suits, the dismissal of authority ('so do whatever the fuck you want'), that gorgeous rock and roll voice, Elvis' beautiful collection of guitars (gee-tars) and what seemed to me to be a perfect perfect perfect blend of some of the best. music. ever.
A very sing-me-to-sleep-you-beautiful-guitar-man touch was an off-mike performance of 'Scarlet Tide' (the song that Elvis wrote for the Cold Mountain movie and should have won a Grammy for). The entire theater went completely silent and collectively held its breath. We leaned forward and smiled just a little, the way you do when someone you love (with big liquid eyes and a sweet smile) is softly bidding you good night.
happykatie writes -
So the Elvis Costello concert was at the Verizon Wireless Theater last night and I'm still floating. While seeing the Imposters at Austin City Limits was certainly the highlight of that weekend, they simply didn't have enough time to properly showcase their extreme musical genius.
I was pleased by everything - the black suits, the dismissal of authority ('so do whatever the fuck you want'), that gorgeous rock and roll voice, Elvis' beautiful collection of guitars (gee-tars) and what seemed to me to be a perfect perfect perfect blend of some of the best. music. ever.
A very sing-me-to-sleep-you-beautiful-guitar-man touch was an off-mike performance of 'Scarlet Tide' (the song that Elvis wrote for the Cold Mountain movie and should have won a Grammy for). The entire theater went completely silent and collectively held its breath. We leaned forward and smiled just a little, the way you do when someone you love (with big liquid eyes and a sweet smile) is softly bidding you good night.
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guidedbyvoices
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