Wow.
B. and I went to see the great Elvis Costello last night at the Beacon. It was the third time I've seen him (and B.'s first), and it was a very, very good show: a whirlwhind of fascinating moments and dramatic, intense, finely-crafted music well-executed by a singer at the top of his game. (Elvis is the only musician I can think of whose singing has gone from merely adequate to very good over the course of his career, even as his songwriting veers all over the map...and this is certainly not meant to disparage his songwriting, because when he's on his game, he's The. Best. Around.)
Sondre Lerche, a Norwegian singer-songwriter, opened the show, armed with only a hollow-body electric guitar. He sounded to me like a 1940s crooner (with a touch of Morrisey in there) ...but he knew how to make some noise when the occasion demanded. His songs were good, off-kilter nuggets sung with wit and style. Bears watching, this lad.
What else can I say about the show? In thinking back on it, I'm left with a collection of fleeting images: