Photo from statesman.com
Elvis Costello and his current back-up band the Sugar Canes came to Austin last night to perform his latest release Secret, Profane & Sugarcane: a series of Americana-type numbers with a couple co-written by Loretta Lynn and T-Bone Burnett. The show was a birthday present for my friend and frequent concert buddy Mark. I knew he was a huge fan who has followed Elvis through the years so it was a safe gamble buying the tickets over the Summer to surprise him. UT’s Bass Hall being the perfect venue made the gift closer to perfect. Bass is often the concert hall for touring musicals, Opera/Classical artists, plays and other performances needing solid acoustics. I wanted to go as well because Elvis has been influential on so much material I love: Squeeze, everything but the girl, Duran Duran, Danko Jones, Eurythmics, Nick Lowe and the list goes on if you search this entry courtesy of allmusic.com.
The Sugar Canes were an interesting combination of musicians playing the following instruments: mandolin, upright double bass, violin, accordion, guitars and a dobro. No drums! These guys were pretty talented to operate without the standard tool for keeping the time and beat in modern Pop/Rock.
Obviously the hits were played with this arrangements: “Alison,” “Indoor Fireworks,” “Every Day I Write the Book,” “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes,” and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding.” Those were the ones I recognized, Mark would know more. Elvis led them through a couple impressive covers: The Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil” (I’m used to Lyle Lovett’s version) and the Rolling Stones’ “Happy.” Between numbers he told anecdotes about performing with Johnny Cash and June Carter on the BBC, his two sons staying at the hotel while dad works, advice his father gave him (a successful band leader in the UK) and working with Loretta Lynn. My opinion of him was pretty high already due to his body of work and partnerships. The showmanship just elevated him to a greater status in my mind. I think he might have been conscious of the ticket price too, he did three encores and these weren’t the obligatory two songs apiece, they were more along the lines of miniature sets.
Near the end he sprung a couple surprises on the audience. A guest appearance of Austin’s Patti Griffin (she’s famous in Folk/Americana/NPR circles) and closing with Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away,” which was appropriate. Even when I discovered his music as a teenager, I always felt he was a UK version of Lubbock’s favorite son.