Elvis Costello Conquers the World

World Music Theatre - Tinley Park

May 28, 1994

First Appeared in The Music Box, June 1994, Volume 1, #1

Written by John Metzger

On May 28, Elvis Costello performed at the acoustically-challenged New World Music Theater in Tinley Park, Illinois. Recently reunited with the Attractions, Costello took the World by storm, prancing onto the stage as circus-style music filled the amphitheater. The band promptly blasted through three quick tunes, including No Action and The Beat.

Over the course of the show, Costello and the Attractions pounded out more than 30 songs, which spanned the full breadth of the group's career. These included a beautiful version of Allison, which led into a surprise cover of Smokey Robinson's Tracks of My Tears. Other standouts included (What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding, the depressing Deep Dark Truthful Mirror, and the final encore Pump It Up. Costello and company sounded best, though, on the material from its new album Brutal Youth, and it took the audience into spaced-out blues jams during Clown Strike, grunge-y grooves during 13 Steps Lead Down, and infectious pop during the crowd-favorite Sulky Girl.

Steve Nieve's keyboards shined throughout the show with his wonderful organ fills and solos. Pete Thomas kept a steady drum beat, providing a majority of the rhythm section, since Bruce Thomas's bass notes were sadly lost in the poor acoustics of the World.

Crash Test Dummies opened the show with an average set which included the group's hits God Shuffled His Feet and Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm.

Brutal Youth is also available from Barnes & Noble.
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