10.25.2019
ELVIS COSTELLO AT HERSHEY THEATRE: 10 TAKEAWAYS FROM THURSDAY’S HIGH-ENERGY CONCERT
Penn Live: Chris Mautner: October 25th 2019.
Are you feeling run down? A bit listless? Need some pep in your step?
I have a solution: Go see Elvis Costello perform.
The acclaimed singer-songwriter, backed by his band The Imposters, performed a stellar, high-energy set at the Hershey Theatre on Oct. 26 that had the crowd on its feet by the evening’s end. I walked into the theater feeling tired and wondering how I was going to make it to the end of the show. Within the first few bars of the opening song, however, all that was forgotten.
Full confession: I am an unabashed Costello fan and have been since high school, when “Veronica” was hitting the radio (yes, I am old). But even with objectivity thrown out the window (yes, I might have bought a t-shirt, why do you ask?) I feel comfortable in declaring to you, dear reader, that this was a heckuva concert.
Here are a few things I came away with after watching Thursday’s performance from the ongoing “Just Trust” tour:
1. Costello looked great
Elvis Costello (birth name Declan Patrick MacManus) had a rather bad health scare not too long ago, having to cancel some 2018 tour dates in order to recoup from being treated for prostate cancer. Yet if there were any lingering effects from that illness, they were not visible on stage. Resplendent in his wide-brimmed white hat, orange shirt and black-blue suit (only keyboardist Steve Nieve outdid him with a gold-colored jacket), and guitar strap that boasted an “E.C.” on it, Costello commanded the stage, telling stories and jokes, walking up to the edge of the stage as if this verse was just for you dear audience member and conducting the ensemble with a few meager hand gestures. Costello seemed healthy and utterly happy to be on stage making music.
2. He is an incredible crooner
Costello is primarily known for his songwriting skills, which are considerable, but his talents as a singer are worth noting as well. His voice has gotten richer and fuller as he’s aged, making him able to pull off Curtis Mayfield-like falsettos, as he did during the finale of “Allison” or go from a whisper to a full-throated holler on “Unwanted Number” (from his most recent album “Look Now”). Thursday’s concert just underscored what a really powerful singer he’s become over the years.