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GRAMMYs

Elvis Costello

Photo: Lynne Margolis

News
elvis-costello-imposters-paramount-theatre

Elvis Costello & The Imposters At The Paramount Theatre

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THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 3:22 pm

Welcome to The Set List. Here you'll find the latest concert recaps for many of your favorite, or maybe not so favorite, artists. Our bloggers will do their best to provide you with every detail of the show, from which songs were on the set list to what the artist was wearing to which out-of-control fan made a scene. Hey, it'll be like you were there. And if you like what you read, we'll even let you know where you can catch the artist on tour. Feel free to drop us a comment and let us know your concert experience. Oh, and rock on.

By Lynne Margolis
Austin, Texas

Diehard Elvis Costello fans are generally ready for anything, but the singer knows that certain situations call for minimizing esoteric material in favor of the tried-and-true. The anniversary gala fundraiser for Austin's Paramount and Stateside Theatres on May 11 was such an occasion. Instead of a full-fledged show that might have stretched beyond two hours, GRAMMY winner Costello and the Imposters gave a performance that landed somewhere around 75 minutes and leaned heavily on his better known songs.

Costello and his band — keyboardist Steve Nieve, drummer Pete Thomas and bassist Davey Faragher (also of Cracker fame) — may have concentrated on the most familiar elements of his remarkable 35-year catalog, but they delivered these songs as if they still love playing each one. Instead of rote recitation, they went for reinvigoration, throwing in enough new twists and little surprises to favorites such as "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" and "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea" to keep even veteran fans on their toes — or dancing in the aisles, high heels, beaded dresses and all.

At first, it seemed as if the set was progressing at punk-like speed. But in his early Attractions era, most songs fell well under the three-minute mark. "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down," his opener, clocks in 2:06 as recorded on his 1980 album, Get Happy!! "High Fidelity," another track from that album, wasn't much longer, and the exuberant "Radio, Radio," from 1978's This Year's Model, barely broke three minutes.

But the ever-dapper Costello, in a striped suit, silver fedora and always the coolest footwear (on this night, as he pressed a wah-wah pedal during "Everyday I Write The Book," his shiny black shoes showed flashes of turquoise-green) eventually stretched out with deeper tracks. Exercising his peerless vibrato on songs from The Delivery Man (2004), Imperial Bedroom (1982), King Of America (1986), National Ransom (2010), and Momofuku (2008), he also demonstrated his considerable acoustic and electric guitar skills on songs such as "Watching The Detectives." But on that song and others, he also stepped back to allow Royal College of Music-trained Nieve — the mad scientist of keyboard wizardry — to cast his own spells with trills, fills and dramatic arpeggios.

Before paying homage to George Jones with "Good Year For The Roses," he told the story of how Jones jumped the gun on revealing the sex of the twins Costello and wife Diana Krall were then expecting, announcing it to an audience before they'd even told family members.

"That's gonna be a helluva thing to tell the lads when they know who George Jones is," he added.

Costello also prefaced "Jimmie Standing In The Rain," with the tale of an old Vaudevillian who went into "cowboy music," proving his love for paying homage to his influences and his ability to balance reverence with a touch of earthy humor.

For the encore, he turned one of his most beloved hits, "Alison," into a gorgeous homage to the Great American Songbook, adding snippets of "Over The Rainbow" and "West Side Story"'s "Somewhere," rising into an effortless falsetto finish. But he knew better than to leave without a round of "Pump It Up" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding."

Open-bar cocktails, helped contribute to the festive atmosphere, as did liberal pre-show live-auction bidding on items such as passage for two on GRAMMY winner Delbert McClinton's next Sandy Beaches Cruise and a signed guitar and photo with Costello. No word on the price the latter package fetched, but whoever won it undoubtedly was even happier with the prize after this show.

Set List: (partial)
"I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down"
"High Fidelity"
"Heart Of The City"
"Radio, Radio"
"Everyday I Write The Book"
"Either Side Of The Same Town"
"Song With Rose"
"(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes"
"Monkey To Man"
"Good Year For The Roses"
"A Slow Drag With Josephine"
"Jimmie Standing In The Rain"
"Almost Blue"
"(I Don't Want to Go To) Chelsea"
"Watching The Detectives"
"Alison"
"Pump It Up"
"(What's So Funny Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding"

To catch Elvis Costello in a city near you, click here for tour dates.

(Austin-based journalist Lynne Margolis currently contributes to American Songwriter, NPR-affiliate KUTX-FM's "Texas Music Matters," regional and local magazines including Lone Star Music and Austin Monthly, and newspapers nationwide. She has previously contributed to the Christian Science Monitor (for which she was the "go-to" writer for Beatles stories), Rollingstone.com and Paste magazine. A contributing editor to the encyclopedia, The Ties That Bind: Bruce Springsteen From A To E To Z, she also writes bios for new and established artists.)

GRAMMYs

Sheryl Crow 

Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty Images

News
Jazz Foundation Of America’s "#TheNewGig Live" jazz-foundation-america%E2%80%99s-thenewgig-live-feature-sheryl-crow-elvis-costello-jon-batiste

Jazz Foundation Of America’s "#TheNewGig Live" To Feature Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, Jon Batiste & More

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Donations collected throughout the special one-night stream will directly benefit JFA’s Coronavirus Musicians’ Fund
Onaje McDowelle
GRAMMYs
May 14, 2020 - 4:18 pm

As a benefit to the Jazz Foundation of America’s COVID-19 Musicians’ Fund, the organization will host its livestreamed benefit concert, #TheNewGig Live, tonight (May 14) beginning at 8 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. The one-night special event is slated to see performances from GRAMMY-winning and nominated artists Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Jon Batiste and others.

https://twitter.com/JazzFoundation/status/1258400687999913984

The Jazz Foundation of America is proud to announce #TheNewGig Live! Please join us, along with this incredible lineup, on Thursday 05.14 at 8pm EST for a digital fundraiser benefiting jazz, blues and roots musicians affected by COVID-19. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/JTEiL0vmbL

— Jazz Foundation (@JazzFoundation) May 7, 2020

In addition to being hosted by comedian Keegan-Michael Key, the two-hour stream will also include appearances from other celebrity guests like Bruce Willis, Danny Glover and Rosie Perez. The program will feature archival footage of live shows and performances by other GRAMMY-winners and nominees like Brittany Howard, Herbie Hancock, Patti Smith, and August Greene (Common, Robert Glasper, and Karriem Riggins). Additional artists set to perform include Robert Cray and Angelique Kidjo.

For fans unable to catch the event in real-time, the livestream will be re-broadcasted at 10 P.M. Eastern Standard Time and will be made available online for viewing for 24 hours. You can stream the event here.

More information on donating to the foundation and their COVID-19 relief efforts can be found here.

"In The House": Katy Perry, John Legend + More

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Rosalía at the 2020 GRAMMYs

Rosalía at the 2020 GRAMMYs

Photo: Rachel Luna/FilmMagic/Getty Images

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2020 GRAMMYs Backstage: Rosalía, Lil Nas X, More meet-rosalia-lil-nas-x-billie-eilish-finneas-more-grammy-2020-winners-backstage-staples

Meet Rosalía, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish & More GRAMMY 2020 Winners Backstage

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Watch 2020 GRAMMY winners FINNEAS, DJ Khaled, Elvis Costello and Cage The Elephant talk about their big moments backstage at Staples Center
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jan 30, 2020 - 8:30 am

The 62nd GRAMMY Awards officially wrapped last Sunday (Jan. 26) after an evening filled with powerhouse performances and exciting first-time GRAMMY winner moments. Let's revisit Music's Biggest Night from a new location by going backstage at Staples Center to talk with some of the freshly crowned GRAMMY winners.

2020 GRAMMY winners Rosalía, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, DJ Khaled, Elvis Costello & The Imposters and Cage The Elephant all spoke to the ever-upbeat backstage interview host Ted Stryker after their big moments. Read on to watch each of the conversations and learn more about their wins.

Watch: Rosalia 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

Shortly after taking three more Latin GRAMMYs (for a total of five to date) back home to Barcelona in November, Spanish nu-flamenco queen Rosalía earned her first GRAMMY nominations: Best New Artist and Best Latin Rock, Urban Or Alternative Album. On Sunday during the GRAMMY Premiere Ceremony, she won the latter category for her epic sophomore album, 2018's El Mal Querer.

"I can't believe that this happened, I can't believe that the people here are receiving my music with so much love. I'm so shocked and still processing," the Barcelonan star said backstage.

Read More: How Rosalía Is Reinventing What It Means To Be A Global Pop Star

She also made her GRAMMY stage debut last week, stunning viewers with her powerful vocals and choreography during a mind-blowing performance featuring her newest song, "Juro Que," and the EMQ favorite, "Malamente." When asked if she was nervous before her performance, she revealed she was, but was also thrilled about sharing her flamenco-inspired music on the acclaimed GRAMMY stage in Los Angeles. "The excitement was bigger than anything else."

Watch: Lil Nas X 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

2019 was a wild ride for genre-dancing cowboy Lil Nas X, who took us all to the "Old Town Road" multiverse. From a viral sensation on TikTok to a record-breaking No. 1 run in a matter of months, the 20-year-old now has two GRAMMYs to his name: Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, both for the megahit. He also made his shimmering GRAMMY stage musical debut with a trippy, star-studded performance of the GRAMMY-winning bop and "Rodeo."

"A year ago, I was somewhere online, promoting this song called 'Old Town Road' with barely a nickel to my name," the "Panini" artist said, rocking a fierce hot pink cowboy getup. "Now I'm here at the GRAMMYs, [with] two GRAMMY Awards."

More: 10 Unforgettable Moments From The 2020 GRAMMY Awards

Reflecting on his rapid rise toward fame and global acclaim, he revealed, "The journey has been very spiritually and mentally challenging, but it helped so much. I've completely turned, and I'm going to continue to turn, into a better version of myself."

Billie Eilish & FINNEAS: One-On-One Interview

A few minutes after taking home their final GRAMMY wins (they each earned five!), sibling wunderkinds Billie Eilish and FINNEAS caught up with Stryker backstage. When he asked where all the emotion was coming from, a teary-eyed Eilish laughingly responded, "Dawg, everywhere! Where is the emotion? It's everything… It's coming from the fact that we just won a bunch of GRAMMYs."

He also asked what their biggest hopes for the album were. Their answers make their GRAMMY triumph even more powerful. "I wasn't expecting anything," Eilish answered.

WATCH: Billie Eilish Performs "When The Party's Over" | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

"We just made this album that we liked. I can't stress it enough. We didn't mean for it to win a GRAMMY, you know? We made an album that we loved and that we wanted to make. That was kind of our only goal, to enjoy making it, enjoy it once it was out and enjoy performing it, so this is just unreal."

"One of the only goals we had with it was that we wanted to make an album that we love playing live because we tour so much," FINNEAS added.

Watch: DJ Khaled 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

DJ/producer DJ Khaled also took home his first GRAMMY win on Sunday for Best Rap/Sung Performance for "Higher." The uplifting track features late L.A. rapper Nipsey Hussle—the song was recorded before his death and released less than two months afterward—along with EGOT king John Legend. Hussle won two posthumous GRAMMYs, also taking home Best Rap Performance for the last single he released, "Racks In The Middle," featuring Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy.

Watch: Behind The Board: DJ Khaled Reflects On His Early Days, Working With Music's Biggest Artists & More

"The day it started off—it was tough, it was real tough," Khaled shared, referring to NBA hero Kobe Bryant's shocking death earlier that day. "[During sound check], John Legend was playing the piano and started singing 'Higher.' It touched my soul. It made me like, 'We gonna go out here, we gonna do it for our brothers.'"

"We come to show love and spread love, for the families," he added, also sharing his excitement for the recent birth of his second son, Aalam.

Watch: Elvis Costello 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

1979 Best New Artist nominee Elvis Costello has been doing things his own way within the pop space since before 2020 Best New Artist Billie Eilish was even born, and he's still in it. On Sunday, he took home Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Look Now, his 2018 album with his band, The Imposters. It is the group's first GRAMMY win together and Costello's second—his first was in 1999 for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for "I Still Have That Other Girl," featuring Burt Bacharach.

Dive In: 2020 GRAMMYs Red Carpet: Go 'Behind The Seams' With Kéla Walker, Nikita Dragun, Tess Holliday, Shaun Ross And Ty Hunter

Introducing his bandmates, including GRAMMY- and Latin GRAMMY-winning producer Sebastian Krys, Costello said, smiling, "We are our own tradition. Being traditional ain't a bad thing… I guess people were surprised because they think of us in terms of one kind of music from 40 years ago, but we play every kind of music."

He also talked about collaborating with Bacharach again on some of the GRAMMY-winning album's tracks and how one of the songs was one he'd written with Carole King 25 years ago. Now, they're ready to share more surprises in 2020.

Watch: Cage The Elephant 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

Alt-rock favorites Cage The Elephant, who broke through the dense alt-rock landscape of the late-'00s/early-'10s with "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" in 2009, just earned their second golden gramophone. They won Best Rock Album for Social Cues, the Kentucky group's fifth studio album. The amazingly eclectic-dressed squad, with bassist Daniel Tichenor and drummer Jared Champion both wearing Helen Anthony threads, caught up with Stryker backstage to share in the excitement.

More: 2020 GRAMMYs: Usher, Sheila E. & FKA Twigs Honor The Purple One With A Prince-Themed Medley

"I think all [albums] have their own journey, but this one took longer. I think it was exactly what it needed to be," guitarist Brad Shultz said. They also joked about how they felt their acceptance speech went ("second worst" compared to 2017). Lead vocalist Matt Shultz explains how he had typed up a speech with who to thank, along with a poem, but left it on his seat in the surprise moment of the win.

"It's just such a blessing to be able to share something with people and to bring people together, and I think that's the most gratifying thing that you can get out of any of this," Brad added. "It's such a blessing to be recognized by the Academy, and it's kind of confirmation that we're connecting with people."

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2020 GRAMMYs: Clive Davis And The Recording Academy Celebrate Sean "Diddy" Combs With Industry Icon Honor At Star-Studded Pre-GRAMMY Gala

GRAMMYs

Elvis Costello

Photo: Tabatha Fireman/Redferns/Getty Images

News
Elvis Costello & Blondie Announce U.S. Tour elvis-costello-blondie-announce-us-summer-tour

Elvis Costello & Blondie Announce U.S. Summer Tour

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The pair of edgy legends will play 13 shows together on their cross-country co-headlining trek
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Apr 2, 2019 - 2:52 pm

GRAMMY-nominated pop/rock rebels Elvis Costello & The Imposters and Blondie are teaming up for a U.S. tour this summer... or as a clever press statement put it: "It's Blondie and the Beastly E.C.!!!"

https://twitter.com/ElvisCostello/status/1113086181716066304

Elvis Costello & The Imposters And Blondie Embark On Co-Headlining Summer Tour.
It’s Blondie & The Beastly E.C.!!!
Pre-Sale Tickets Available Today. General On-Sale Saturday, April 6th
For a complete list of dates and for ticket information please visit - https://t.co/ihKfb0Uhz1 pic.twitter.com/WL8V6gvOyD

— Elvis Costello (@ElvisCostello) April 2, 2019

The 13-date run will begin in Bethel, N.Y. on July 20 and hit mostly east and west coast cities, plus Las Vegas, before wrapping up in Seattle on Aug 10. 

It's been over 40 years since Blondie's "Heart Of Glass" found itself side-by-side with Costello's "Oliver's Army" on the UK Singles Chart. But both artists' most-recent albums prove they've not lost their fire; Costello's eclectic 2018 release, Look Now, and Blondie's blistering 2017 release, Pollinator.

Pre-sale tickets are available today, with tickets going on-sale to the public on Saturday, Apr. 6.

YES Announce The Royal Fair Tour With Asia And More

 

Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello

Photo: Santiago Felipe/Getty Images

News
Elvis Costello Cancels European Tour Dates elvis-costello-reveals-cancer-diagnosis-cancels-european-tour-dates

Elvis Costello Reveals Cancer Diagnosis, Cancels European Tour Dates

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The iconic singer/songwriter will forgo the final six dates of his summer tour to recover from surgery
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jul 6, 2018 - 4:39 pm

GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter Elvis Costello has been forced to cancel the remaining six shows of his ongoing European tour after revealing he was recently diagnosed with cancer.

The 63-year-old underwent surgery in May to remove a "small but aggressive cancerous malignancy" before beginning his summer tour. His doctors have urged him to sit out the upcoming dates to recover.

“Six weeks ago my specialist called me and said, ‘You should start playing the Lotto,'” Costello said in a statement. “He had rarely, if ever, seen such a small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy that could be defeated by a single surgery. I was elated and relieved that our European summer tour could go ahead."

Despite this initial optimism, Costello admitted he had to accept his recovery will take longer than he would have wished and apologized to ticketholders for the cancellations.

"Post-surgical guidelines for such surgery, recommend three weeks to four weeks recovery, depending on whether you are returning to a desk job or an occupation that involves physical work or travel," Costello continued. "It was impossible to judge how this advisory would line up with the demands on a traveling musician, playing 90-minute to two-hour-plus performances on a nightly basis, but by the time we reached the Edinburgh Playhouse, I was almost fooled into thinking that normal service had been resumed."

https://twitter.com/ElvisCostello/status/1015145826941743104

Elvis Costello has been forced to cancel the remaining 6 dates of his current European tour on medical grounds. His doctor has strongly advised him to take a break from his current tour itinerary and rest. Please click here for more information - https://t.co/tEqHUo5l5o

— Elvis Costello (@ElvisCostello) July 6, 2018

In the statement, Costello also reminded fans he and his band The Imposter have a "magnificent new record of which we are truly proud" on the way this October. Just last month, he announced the album and a fall North American tour to support it.

A full list of scheduled tour dates can be found on Costello's website, as fans of the songwriting icon from all over the world wish him a full and speedy recovery.

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.