Elvis Was in the Building

Elvis Costello at the 9:30 Club, May 18

Elvis Costello rocked out for more than two hours at the 9:30 Club on Friday night, performing 30+ songs that spanned his nearly three-decade career. Dressed in a dark suit, sunglasses, and glittery shoes, he kept the show almost continuously up tempo and fresh, gratifying the sold-out crowd.

Costello seemed to be “a man out of time” during the first half-hour, almost sounding rushed, with songs running into each other. It wasn’t until more than halfway through the first set that he took a breath and said his welcome to the crowd. But, looking back on it, he was nobly trying to cram into his show as many fantastic songs as he could, and it was bloody amazing.

Costello, with his trio of Imposters, performed a healthy helping of oldies and rarities, as well as some of his greatest hits and best-loved songs such as “Pump It Up” and “Watching the Detectives.” He also performed a stunning solo acoustic version of “Alison” that showed off his enduring voice.

His long-time keyboardist Steve Nieve never stopped giving 200% but did step aside for a few songs toward the end when New Orleans singer/songwriter/keyboardist Allen Toussaint surprised the crowd with an appearance. The arrangements sounded great despite the absence of a horn section which accompanied their recent tour together in support of the album, River in Reverse.

Costello ended with “Peace, Love, and Understanding” and, inspired in DC to make a political statement, had the crowd chanting “bring our boys home” as he exited the stage.

SET LIST
Set 1
Welcome To The Working Week
Shabby Doll
The Beat
Lovers Walk
Secondary Modern
Strict Time
Brilliant Mistake
Country Darkness
Temptation
Clubland
Beyond Belief
Kinder Murder
Alibi
Watching The Detectives
American Gangster Time
Lipstick Vogue
Riot Act

Set 2
I Hope You’re Happy Now
No Action
You Belong To Me
Waiting For The End Of The World
High Fidelity
Uncomplicated
Radio Radio
The Imposter
Alison (solo)
Sleep Of The Just

First Encore
River In Reverse (w/Allen Toussaint on keys)
Monkey To Man (w/ A.T.)
Yes I Can Can (a Toussaint song, w/ A.T.)

Second Encore
Hey Bulldog (Beatles cover)
Pump It Up
(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding

A Jazzy Evening at Blues Alley

The Mike Stern Band, Blues Alley, May 16

recommended beverage for this show:

a glass of chardonnay hit the spot

It's truly music to my ears when good jazz musicians jam together in a small venue that boasts great acoustics. Such was the case when the Mike Stern Band, a true quasi-super group, played Blues Alley on Tuesday night. Stern, an accomplished guitarist who played with Miles Davis in the 80s, let his fingers fly across the strings with such ease. With him were drummer Dennis Chambers, bassist Victor Wooten, and saxophonist

Songwriters Circle: Candid, Creative Fun

May 10 at Jammin Java, Vienna Virginia

Recommended beverage: perhaps a cup of java

Something special happens at Jammin’ Java once every couple of months, or whenever these four musical men can get their schedules in sync. It’s called the Songwriters Circle, which brings together four local, talented singer-songwriters who play acoustic versions of their songs and cover tunes, individually or sometimes jamming together, interspersed with personal stories. At each one, the same four form this circle: Luke Brindley (of the Brindley Brothers, who own the club); Shane Hines; Anthony Fiacco (of the Blackjacks, formerly the Echoes), and Todd Wright of Getaway Car.

It’s an inspiring evening of music and laughter. The musicians’ candor in this intimate venue makes for a memorable night. I can’t wait for the next one…

Rockin' Out at the Rock and Roll Hotel

May 9
The Cedars, the Changes, the Cinematics at the Rock and Roll Hotel

Recommended beverage

to go with this show:

a big can of Strongbow Cider

Somehow, writing this story escaped me and now it's months later (October!). Still, it warrants a mention. The venue and the bands were quite memorable.

The Rock n Roll Hotel is one of the newer intimate music venues to open in the nascent H Street corridor ("Atlas District") in Northeast D.C, just a couple of blocks down from the Red & the Black. Bands perform to an all-ages crowd on the main level, appealing for its dark atmosphere and intimate size.

Upstairs, there's a a large bar and lounge with wooden stools and couches where a deejay is likely spinning some good music. Down the corridor, where classic and punk rock paraphernalia line the walls, two narrow suites with velvet couches offer somewhat of a backstage decor. The building previously was a funeral home back when this once-thriving neighborhood boasted busy shops and restaurants, before the 1968 riots had decimated the area. Its darkness provides the perfect setting for brooding indie rock bands.

Local band the Cedars have since broken up but rocked out well at this show. The Chicago-based The Changes were the surprise highlight of the night. Fantastic, Brit-rock influenced sound. Headliners The Cinematics,who hail from Scotland also brought down the house.

Don't miss these bands when they next come through town!

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On at New Orleans Jazz Fest

New Orleans, Louisiana
Jazz & Heritage Festival, April 27-29

Each time I return from Jazz Fest (this is my fifth one), friends inevitably ask who I saw. This year, I beamed about such headliners as Van Morrison and Bonnie Raitt. But that’s just a part of the larger Jazz Fest experience.

When you walk between the two main stages, which sit at opposite ends of the enormous Fairgrounds, there are eight other stages and tents brimming over with soulful sounds. Along that stroll, you’ll hear African rhythms from the Congo stage, zydeco and Cajun on the Fais Do Do stage, a brass band or the Mardi Gras Indians (in full headdress) on the Heritage stage, and mind-blowing jazz and blues from the tents, not to mention some hallelujah shouts out of the Gospel tent. These are the sweet sounds that envelop you and get in yer blood. These are the sounds that make me return to Jazz Fest every year and there’s nothing quite like it anywhere.

Photos: (from top) Louisiana legend John Mooney blows the lid off the Blues Tent; New Birth Brass Band jams on the Heritage stage; I say hi to Alexa Ray Joel (right) after her bluesy set on the Lagniappe stage.

(at right) Galactic's Rich Vogel on keys at Tip's Uptown.

And these are sounds born in, or inspired by, the cultural mecca of New Orleans, whether it’s Cajun and zydeco, jazz or blues. When Jerry Lee Lewis took the stage on Sunday, many danced uncontrollably to the great raw sounds of 50s rock n roll, a sound that draws heavily from the blues. Van Morrison, whose music crosses an array of genres though always heavily inspired by blues, stuck with a mostly jazzy set (and didn’t play Brown Eyed Girl, which I thought was cool, but some in the crowd were clearly disappointed). Meanwhile, the New Orleans Klezmer All Stars blended their traditional klezmer music (joyful Jewish music) with elements of zydeco, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.

So, while many often ask why there are rock and country music headliners at a jazz fest, it can be said that just about every act there, big and small, every year, has music rooted in the very traditions that come out of the great state of Louisiana.

Another unique and stimulating aspect of Fest is that you never know who might jam together. Dr. John came out to jam with Van Morrison on Fats Domino’s “Josephine” while Ivan Neville seemed to go sleepless; he showed up with Galactic at 5 a.m. in a Tip’s Uptown Saturday night and again on stage with Bonnie Raitt the next afternoon. Raitt also pulled in Allen Touissaint’s horn section for a song. And these are just but a few examples.

Then there are the inspiring stories of local musicians who continue to work toward the city’s recovery. One such example is New Orleans Social Club, a band that formed just after Hurricane Katrina to help raise funds to help the city. This is a band of all-stars including Ivan Neville, George Porter, Jr., and keyboard great Henry Butler. They played Fest one afternoon. Many other great local musicians played. Among the ones who graced the larger stages were zydeco great Rockin’ Dopsie, boogie-woogie goddess Marcia Ball, and the bluesy roots of Tab Benoit.

And if all of this great music all day long isn’t enough, just about every club in the city holds nighttime concerts. It’s tough to choose from the many phenomenal concerts going simultaneously but often that’s dictated by when one finishes a leisurely dinner. Luckily, there are concerts all night long. This year, I hit dba on Frenchman Street for the rockin’ delta blues of Little Freddie King. I found the beer selection to be pretty phenomenal in this club so I hit it again the next night for the jam band Morning 40 Federation, before heading to Tipitina’s Uptown at 4 a.m. to catch some of Galactic, a great New Orleans-based funk and jazz band.

So wraps up the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. My head will keep swimming with these soulful sounds for a long time to come.

Jambalaya, crawfish pie, and fillet gumbo

Coz tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio

Pick guitar, fill fruit jar, and be gay oh

Son of a gun, we’re gonna have big fun on the bayou.

The Killers Play Long Killer Set at Patriot Center

April 26
Patriot Center at GMU, Fairfax Virginia

Fans of the Killers would not be disappointed with their live show. All of the punch they pack into their two studio albums comes to life on stage, and their show is accented by great lighting and, at strategic moments, lots of confetti.

Their 100-minute set at the Patriot Center covered most of their material. Singer Brandon Flowers had relentless energy, bouncing around the stage as he sang, only stopping during the songs in which he played keyboard. The Killers hit the stage for two encores, during which they played the can't-help-but-dance-and-sing-along song, "All These Things That I've Done," during which Flowers insisted the crowd join him for, "I got soul, but I'm not a soldier."

The Vegas-based band exploded on the scene in 2004 with their debut album, Hot Fuss, which bore such radio hits as "Somebody Told Me" and "Mr. Brightside," and, as it happens, the entire album is a classic. They rose on the charts quite fast and followed with the critically acclaimed second album, Sam's Town, and seem to be as popular as ever, dispelling any notions that they're a passing fad.

Opening the show was a fantastic Beatles cover band from Tokyo called Silver Beats. Lead singer, Eric Mabuchi, did an eerily excellent Lennon. Their repertoire included songs that span the Beatles' career. They nailed the harmonies and put a refreshing, contemporary sound on Beatles classics.