07.04.2023
Elvis Costello & Nick Lowe, Meadowbrook Ampitheater, June 28, 2023
Caryn Rose’s Jukeboxgraduate dot com
Caryn Rose 30 June 2023
This is a much less physical show than the last tour I saw. It’s not like Nick’s set, where every song was at a much slower tempo than the originals — Elvis still opened with “Mystery Dance,” which is a declaration, shots fired, and setting a decided mood. But he sat down for at least half the show, which didn’t detract from the overall energy because that move created an atmosphere of decided focus and intent. Elvis is always focused, but this was more of an exploratory, let’s see what I can do with this kind of vibe, a mix of jam band and quasi-improvisatory jazz ensemble. He’s tinkering with the songs, he’s starting to pry them apart at the seams to see what’s inside and what he can do with it. Hot damn.