Elvis Costello

April-May 2010

The year's touring begin in earnest with a short run of solo concerts in California and Arizona. The new songs, "Bullets For The New-Born King", "The Spell That You Cast" and "A Slow Drag With Josephine" are given their first public performance.

The later is usually performed from the edge of the stage without any amplification.

The encore sometimes features a re-working of "Lucky Dog", a now forgotten Vietnam-era single on the 4-Tet label out of Fort Lauderdale, FL by Sgt. Larry Singer in tribute to the heroic exploits of his dog, "Lucky", who had once featured on the cover of "Life" magazine.

These concerts are followed by two shows with the Imposters in Atlantic City and Blioxi, MS.

Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes then open an East Coast run in Boston, closing in Jacksonville, Florida, before making appearances at JazzFest in New Orleans and MerleFest in Wilkesboro', North Carolina.

At the later date, Rebecca and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe join Costello and The Sugarcanes for two songs. Rebecca Lovell duets on "The Crooked Line" before the ensemble closes with "The Scarlet Tide"

29th April 2010

Following his JazzFest appearance, Costello joins the Lil' Band O' Gold at The Parish in the House of Blues for a tribute to Bobby Charles.

C.C. Adcock leads the band with Dr. John, playing B3 for 45 minutes of the set and guest vocalists, Tommy McLain, Shannon McNally and Ann Di Franco.

Song performed include, "Big Boys Cry" and "Before I Grow Too Old" on which the vocals are shared with Tommy McLain before the entire cast sing, "See You Later Alligator".

23rd May 2010

The Sugarcanes - with Fats Kaplin deputizing on pedal steel and electric guitar for Jerry Douglas - are joined by Pete Thomas for an appearance at the Sonoma Jazz Festival, sharing the bill with the Neville Brothers.

28th and 29th May 2010

Concerts with the Dallas Symphony, conducted by Albert George Schram featuring Steve Nieve at the piano, Paul Gill on double bass and Matt Wilson on drums.

Songs performed include "The Girl In The Other Room", "My Three Sons", "Shipbuilding" and "Bedlam" in the first half.

The second half of the concert includes the first performance of the new Steve Nieve song, "Kairos.

The encore of the second concert includes a performance of "Happiness" from the Steve Nieve/Muriel Teodori opera, "Welcome To The Voice"

2nd June 2010

Participation in the concert celebrating the award of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song to Sir Paul McCartney in East Room of the White House in the presence of President Barack Obama, the First Lady and the Obama and McCartney families.

Performers include, Stevie Wonder, Corrine Bailey Rae, Herbie Hancock, Jack White, Jonas Brothers, Faith Hill, Lang Lang, Emmylou Harris and Dave Grohl.

Costello sings "Penny Lane" with Master Sergeant Matthew Harding of The President's Own Marine Band taking the piccolo trumpet solo.

20th June 2010

Solo concert at the Royal Festival as part of Richard Thompson's "Meltdown" season, who joins on electric guitar for finale performances of "End Of The Rainbow" and "What's So ‘About Peace, Love And Understanding".

Further solo concert in Birmingham, Oxford and St. David's Hall, Cardiff feature songs such as the Altman/Lawrence song, "All Or Nothing At All" and the new composition, "One Bell Ringing"

27th June 2010

Elvis Costello and The Sugarcanes make a brief afternoon appearance at the Hard Rock Calling festival in Hyde Park, London.

The headline act is Paul McCartney. Other performers include Crowded House and Crosby, Stills and Nash.

28th June 2010

The Sugarcanes make their full concert debut at the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool - with performances of "Red Cotton" and a new arrangement of "Shipbuilding: at the start of a European tour that also visits in Dublin, Glasgow, Vienne, Rotterdam, Montreux and Madrid.

10th July 2010

When a torrential downpour arrives in the middle of the show at the Cactus Festival in Brugge, the audience cheers and sings along with the refrain of, "Jimmie Standing In The Rain", a song they are hearing for the first time.

18th July 2010

At Villa Adriana near Rome, Hoagy Carmichael's "My Resistance Is Low" is included in the set for the only time on the tour along with improvised performances of the unfinished song, "Put Down The Glass" and the hymn, "Under The Spreading Stanley Laurel".

The new song, "All These Strangers" is also given its first performance at this, the only Italian date of the tour.

20th July 2010

During one of four double-billed concerts during the tour, Diana Krall joins The Sugarcanes to lead the band from the piano on Buddy Miller's, "Wide River To Cross", before coming centre stage for a duet on Bob Dylan's "Simple Twist Of Fate"

Steve Nieve later joins The Sugarcanes on piano for three encore tunes, including, "Leave My Kitten Alone".

23rd July 2010

At Huelva, Elvis Costello and The Sugarcanes give their only concert in Andalusia in the presence of former Brodsky Quartet violinist and composer, Michael Thomas and his family.

The set closes with the audience singing the refrain of the Jagger/Richards song, "Happy", as the ensemble depart the stage.

24th July 2010

After an overnight drive of 900 kms, "All These Strangers" is once again played as an encore, Sos Del Rey Católico, during a concert in the medieval hill-town in Aragon.

25th July 2010

At Jazzaldia in Donostia-San Sebastian, Kris Kristofferson joins The Sugarcanes for three songs; "This Old Road", "Pilgrim – Chapter 33" and "April 5th" – written with Rosanne Cash – on which the crowd in the Plaza de Trinidad join the call and response of "I believe" in the finale chorus

27th July 2010

Sharing the bill for the last time on this tour with Diana Krall in Santiago de Compostela, fiddle player, Stuart Duncan, takes the lead vocal on a rendition of "I Am A Pilgrim" after Elvis Costello plays guitar alongside Anthony Wilson on the Tom Waits song, "Clap Hands" during his wife's set.

28th July 2010

The tour closes in Cascais, near Lisbon with a set which includes an impromptu version of the Floyd Tillman hit, "It Makes No Difference Now" and versions of "She" with Jeff Taylor on accordion, "Bedlam" with just the accompaniment of acoustic guitar and Dennis Crouch's double bass and an ensemble rendition of "I Want You" which features Stuart Duncan on bowed banjo.

10th August 2010

Guest appearance with the Levon Helm Band at the Center For Performing Art, Vancouver, B.C.

Lead vocal on "Tears of Rage" before joining the vocal ensemble for "Tennessee Jed", "The Weight" and "I Shall Be Released".