Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Pretty self-explanatory
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Man out of Time
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Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by Man out of Time »

The Spectacular Spinning Songbook tour reaches Boston on Friday 20 May. Elvis played the same venue last October as part of the "Speaking Clock Revue" with Elton John and The Secret Sisters. He also played there in 2004 with Steve Nieve and the Brodsky Quartet.

Bostonsmarts.com has this to say by way of a preview:
Elvis Costello and the Imposters

Having a ticket to see Elvis Costello and the Imposters might afford you the opportunity to determine his set list. Lucky audience members will be invited onstage to spin "The Spectacular Spinning Songbook." This wheel contains 40 song titles, including names of Costello's biggest hits, rarities, and covers. Whatever song the wheel lands on gets played by Elvis and the Imposters.
http://www.bostonsmarts.com/blogengine/ ... ng-Theatre

Anyone here have tickets yet?

MOOT
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by Jack of All Parades »

I will be attending as my wife and I will be in Boston for the graduation of my daughter- tickets are in hand and it is a beautiful theater. Looking forward to this as hopefully it will be reasonably road tested.
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by macguffinman »

Hellooo! Macguffinman here: First-time poster, long-time fan, and 1986 Costello Sings Again veteran (all three nights at the Orpheum in Boston, including the Spinning Songbook extravaganza, featuring celeb-spinner Bill Walton). I'm extremely excitedly looking forward to next Friday night at the Wang, where my fellow longterm-fan friend Paula and I will be occupying 2 seats in Row H of the orchestra (right-center), if not the actual go-go cage itself. Fingers crossed!

Herb
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by Poppet »

i'm there! second row center, first balcony.

i checked to see what was still available, and there were tickets in row D still available earlier today. granted, those are behind the 'pit' rows, of which there are maybe seven or so, but still, that's depressing. boston, come ON!

if there are still open seats down there at showtime i expect i'll run on down and try to snag one. yes, i want to spin that wheel.
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by bronxapostle »

counting on you POPPET, get back ASAP after show please!
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And No Coffee Table
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by And No Coffee Table »

New to the wheel: "Big Tears."

Twitter:
Elvis Costello just sang Purple Rain, and now he brought a couple on stage -- and the guy just proposed. Of course, she said YES!
Woman at Boston Elvis Costello show accepts her boyfriend's proposal and immediately hugs... Elvis, then boyfriend/fiance.
Best proposal ever. Onstage at Elvis Costello, she says yes, they dance in go go cage while he plays peace love and understanding.
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And No Coffee Table
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by And No Coffee Table »

http://twitter.com/#!/CitiCenter/status ... 0469577729
Boston's own Peter Wolf joins Elvis Costello on the #WangTheatre stage. What an encore.
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by migdd »

Peter Wolf . . . fantastic! Was Big Tears played, I wonder? Looking forward to a report and set list.
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by Jack of All Parades »

Definitely a trip down memory lane. Barely went past 1986. Seated only 7 rows from the stage and off to the side had a totally unobstructed view of the show. He was most entertaining and did not seem to suffer any lingering effects of the recent bronchitis.

The wheel is almost superfluous. It is used but sparingly. Even had the fun of seeing it spun twice in the evening only to land on The Other Side of Summer both times. The choices upon it are none too obscure. Our young friend in Australia would have been most disappointed as one choice was Bedlam and the wheel actually spun to it at one time but was ultimately manipulated to another song.

Loved the medley with colors 'singing the rainbow' with its inclusion of Green Shirt, Red Shoes, Blue Chair and Purple Rain.

If you were a lover of Blood & Chocolate, Get Happy or King of America you heard solid representations from those albums.

Enjoyed Peter Wolf doing Cry One More Time with EC on harp although their version of a four bar blues I believe titled Help Me Mama was pedestrian.

EC got his Irish on[the Foyles would have loved it] in a small set that featured a group of pub style performers I could not make out the name of them over the crowd noise and muddied acoustics but EC was stepping and strumming with them to a medley of tunes from King of America- American Without Tears and Little Palaces

I loved his revisiting of both I Can't Stand up For Falling Down and High Fidelity.

Of course there had to be an obligatory Alison in the audience and she was treated to a rendition of the song. Who would guess a marriage proposal would occur on stage with EC acting as defacto marriage broker and they were treated to a rendition of Peace Love and Understanding interspersed with strains of Here Comes the Bride. EC was even asked to attend the wedding and not as the band but as a guest.

Steve Nieve occupies a great musical space on that stage-he fills in musical sections that allows EC's guitar to be missed. In fact you rarely hear his guitar when the band is going full bore.

A most enjoyable evening all around and if you are there to hear the old warhorses you get your fill. Unfortunately there are few surprises meaning songs which are rarely played.
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by macguffinman »

The pub style performers were EC's half-brother Ronan McManus and part of his band Bible Code Sundays, who, as luck would have it, are playing at an Boston Irish restaurant/bar called Four Green Fields tomorrow night (first time I've ever heard of it). Little Palaces evolved into a great uptempo Celtic instrumental workout. Fine fiddle player.

What a hugely entertaining, rocking show. The only real blip in the momentum, from my perspective, was the marriage proposal, which took long enough that it could have displaced a song. Spin the wheel, already! "Alison" had the whole lot of recent interpolations rolled into it: Tracks of My Tears/Tears of a Clown/No More Tear-stained Makeup/Wind Cries Mary/Over the Rainbow/Somewhere. I especially love it when he gets The Wind Cries Mary in there because Jimi Hendrix is the other alpha artist in my personal Pantheon, along with EC.

I mostly agree that EC didn't show any vocal ill effects, but here and there I had the suspicion he was reining it in a bit, like he would have gone for it more vocally if there had been no issues with his voice. But that didn't mean he skimped on the passion, or the showbiz, for that matter. The crowd was very enthusiastic, on its feet most of the time, and I didn't notice anything like was reported from Philly when EC did Josephine (no Jimmie tonight).

If anything else comes to mind, I'll chime back in. On the one hand, I wanted him to just keep playing, but on the other, I feel like I've just gotten back from a long musical journey and I'm feeling a little swirly from it still.
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by sweetest punch »

Last edited by sweetest punch on Sat May 21, 2011 5:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by Man out of Time »

The pub style performers were EC's half-brother Ronan McManus and part of his band Bible Code Sundays,
More on Ronan McManus and his band on this thread:

http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB2 ... f=2&t=1832

MOOT
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by verbal gymnastics »

Sounds like an excellent show.

No doubt a blog about the proposal will appear soon.
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by just a lackey »

no big tears

help me and cry one more time with peter wolf were a treat as was the king of america set with the biblecodesundays

hoover factory, green shirt, and new lace sleeves were my favorites though

played/sang some of the kids are alright during PLU i think while the couple was in the gogo cage :D

played (off top of head and in roughly this order, but not exactly-may be missing a couple and these don't include the references within, obvious and otherwise):

hope youre happy now
heart of the city
mystery dance
uncomplicated
radio radio

other side of summer
new lace sleeves
green shirt/blue chair/red shoes/purple rain

hoover factory/detectives

plu

alison

slow drag w/josephine

american w/o tears, little palaces, instrumental i've heard pogues play but cant name

help me
cry one more time
chelsea
high fidelity
i cant stand up for falling down
out of time
pump it up
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by verbal gymnastics »

Is he back to doing the normal version of Pump It Up?
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by Jack of All Parades »

No Pump it up is done in a speed tempo that races through the number. I forgot to mention that a highlight for me was his version of Out of Time-it reminded me of what good 'pop' is and what a gold mine those 1967 Stones albums are as well as a sense of the musical guidance they may well have provided a young EC as he was 'forging' his musical soul in the smithey of his heart.
Last edited by Jack of All Parades on Sat May 21, 2011 9:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by bronxapostle »

er, just how many fiddle accordion tunes were there??? did E sing on those? as per the repeat spin of OTHERSIDEOFSUMMER; he should have played it again like the second (waltz) version he did of it back in 1991 at MSG!
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by Jack of All Parades »

As mentioned earlier by others in this thread he did a small sub set from King of America with his half brother-both signing and playing on American Without Tears and Little Palaces- his brother's playing partners consisted of an accordian player, a fiddler and a drummer- they had a rich pub band sound.
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by History Repeats »

Elvis and band were in fine form--the "rainbow" jackpot was particularly great to hear...as was new lace sleeves...the celtic versions of American Without Tears and Little Palaces---also excellent

I would concur with my brethren on the board here that "out of time" is a particularly nice nugget on this tour (seems to be getting even better every nite) with E&the band reminding us of an excellent Stones classic while making it their own.

I thought the unexpected Celtic episode via his brother was excellent and really added to the show--the song arrangements, overall sound, and the connectedness of the entire ensemble was excellent, as it brought out the threads in the music, in the same way sugarcanes arrangements added interesting dimension to songs that already had hints in that direction.

Could have done without Peter Wolf, though...i thought it distracted from the show and its momentum and took the set in an interesting, but not necessary direction. (to be fair and provide full disclosure---i see no link to the music styles of peter/j geils and elvis, nor do i see him as a fitting choice of playing with elvis---and, frankly, i find peter wolf showing up at so many boston shows as a bore and frankly of no interest, to me)

Great stuff---Great fun---Each nite brings more excellent performances
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by docinwestchester »

Sounds great. Can't wait to hear a recording.
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by bronxapostle »

yeah, that WOLF guy usually stumbles upon stage half tanked from the two or three times i've seen/heard his escapades with E Street. guess EC liked some J. GEILS stuff (didn't he once do FIRST I LOOK AT THE PURSE or is that my imagination?)and didn't want to disrespect if P Wolf offered to "grace" the stage! a recent WOLF performance...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJtCQgzWA40
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by sweetest punch »

Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by History Repeats »

Absolutely BA---Seems every time Bruce rolls into town, it seems Peter wants a free admit...though the Bruce fans seem to feel it works (i have lots of thoughts why that might be, none of which are based on anything that makes the show better--LOL...) I expect in the case of Elvis (and perhaps bruce too) the call comes from Peter to the artist asking to join on stage...rather than him being "invited"
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by bronxapostle »

yeh...we really need another DIRTY WATER with a drunkard instead of a Bruce nugget in the encore. :P :P :P forgive my trespasses if you are NOT a drunkard!
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Re: Elvis/Imposters Boston, Wang Theatre, 20 May 2011

Post by sweetest punch »

Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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