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| photo: Steven Done/courtesy Shore Fire Media |
The Temecula, Calif. concert was held at Pechanga Summit, the largest entertainment venue at Pechanga Resort & Casino, that opened last
year as part of a $300 million expansion project. More than double the size of
the long-established Pechanga Theater, the multi-use space has a live music seating capacity
of 3,100. This was my first time attending a Summit concert and I was impressed
by the room’s acoustics, two large crystal-clear screens and comfortable seats
with cup holders in the upper sections.
In 2018, Costello released Look Now, his first new
studio album in nearly five years following the acclaimed memoir Unfaithful Music
and Disappearing Ink. Look Now is a sophisticated adult rock-leaning collection
featuring some collaborations with Carole King and Burt Bacharach. It is often reminiscent
of Costello and Bacharach’s previous partnership on 1998’s Painted from
Memory.
Blondie has been going strong creatively in the 2010s.
The band’s most recent effort was the frequently engaging Pollinator in ’17,
which boasted guests like Joan Jett, Johnny Marr and The Strokes’ Nick Valensi.
The singles “Fun” and “Long Time” both reached the top 5 on Billboard’s Dance
Club Songs chart.
On Friday night, Elvis Costello launched the solid 95-minute,
19-song set in high-energy fashion with 1978 U.K. hit “Pump it Up.” Steve Nieve’s
organ work was spirited as ever; the female backing vocalists heard on Look
Now, SoCal native Kitten Kuroi and Briana Lee, bolstered the harmonies. A
sense of musical mystery enveloped “Clubland” as footage from the original
music video was shown on the backdrop.
Costello’s sardonic humor was present throughout the gig.
Before “Accidents Will Happen,” he opined whether the Imposters should play the
catalogs of Blondie or Oasis instead of their own. “But we don’t want to put
you to sleep,” Costello said about the Gallagher Brothers’ music. “Green Shirt,” off
1979’s Armed Forces, contained a memorable swirling organ intro by Nieve
and received a rousing response from the large audience.
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| photo: Steven Done/Shore Fire Media |
The British singer provided some interesting background on
the newer jazzy tune “Photographs Can Lie.” Whenever “Watching the Detectives” is
performed (and it’s usually a staple of the setlists), Costello tends to tweak
the music a little. This time was no different, but the familiar shards of tremelo
electric guitar were still intact as images from various pulp noir movies from
the 1930s and ‘40s were flashed on the backdrop screens.
Before sitting down at a black Steinway piano to play the stately ballad “A Face in the Crowd,” Costello talked about his still-planned musical
of the same name. The classic rock ‘n’ roll vibe of “Mystery Dance” and “This
Year’s Girl” (with Pete Thomas’ indelible drum work) combined for a strong
double shot.
Later, upbeat songs such as “I Can’t Stand Up (For Falling
Down),” “High Fidelity” and “Everyday I Write the Book” (with a revamped
arrangement) were highlights. All three singers segued into a snippet of Jean
Knight’s 1972 R&B track “Mr. Big Stuff” during “Book.” Costello’s had no
problem hitting a falsetto vocal note during his popular ballad “Alison,” which
closed the main set.
Making the audience work to be rewarded with an encore, Costello
pretended to leave the stage. Then he relayed the short history of answer songs
in rock ‘n’ roll and went into a lively “Monkey to Man.” Concertgoers who resisted
the allure of nearby gambling and stayed the course past 11:30 p.m. were rewarded with fine versions of “(The Angels
Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding,”
complete with peaceful slogans on the screens.
Appearing onstage in Temecula to the sound of an air raid
siren and retro computer graphics on screen, Blondie opened the 17-song,
85-minute set with “One Way or Another.” Deborah Harry, clad in a jacket and
sunglasses, ad libbed some spoken bits at the end. The dance-inspired “Fun”
definitely lived up to its title as modern day nightclub scenes were flashed
behind them.
There were plenty of riveting visual elements to the show;
especially the footage from Glenn O’Brien’s old NYC public access cable television
show TV Party alongside “Call Me.” Powerhouse drummer Clem Burke was a force to
be reckoned with on the song and Matt Katz-Bohen got in some keytar action. Taking
things down a few notches, Harry fared well vocally on “Sunday Girl,” an early
highlight.
The crowd went wild as soon as familiar opening chimes
signaled the start of “Rapture.” Chris Stein – the third original member still in the group along
with Harry and Burke – played a memorable electric guitar solo while seated (as
he was the entire set). Keeping with a similar theme, Blondie covered the current
No. 1 single “Old Town Road” by Lil’ Nas X. An extended “The Tide is High” mixed reggae with a heavy rock emphasis, courtesy of lead guitarist Tommy Kessler and the band
segued into a snippet of Deee-Lite’s “Groove is in the Heart.”
“We decided to take this one out and dusted it off,” Harry
said about the ominous “Orchid Club,” from the original lineup’s swan song
album The Hunter. It was a pleasant surprise. Burke’s unique style
drew deserved attention amid “Atomic” and “Heart of Glass” (one of the more difficult rhythms in the repertoire to maintain). Here, Harry sang a snatch of Donna
Summer and Giorgio Moroder’s “I Feel Love” and it was a perfect choice since
Moroder also oversaw “Call Me.”
Come encore time, Blondie returned with the luxurious title
track to the James Bond flick “From Russia with Love,” a good fit for Harry
vocally. With a subtle wink to the current administration, the U.S. presidential
seal was flashed on the screens as it ended. Finally, they capped the set with
the gloriously hopeful “Dreaming.”
Next: 7 p.m. Sunday Aug. 4, FivePoint Amphitheatre, Irvine;
7 p.m. Monday Aug. 5, Greek Theatre, Los Angeles; 7 p.m. Wednesday Aug. 7,
Santa Barbara Bowl; 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, Concord Pavilion, San Francisco; 7
p.m. Aug. 10, Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, Seattle.
Costello and the Imposters headline their own Just Trust
tour in the U.S. this October and November.
Upcoming Pechanga Summit concerts:
Steely Day, Sept. 20
Steve Miller Band, Sept. 22
Peter Frampton, Sept. 29
Upcoming Pechanga Theater concerts:
Kenny G, Aug. 25
Chris Isaak, Aug. 30
Deep Purple, Sept. 6
Air Supply, Sept. 14
Luis Fonsi, Sept. 21
Australian Pink Floyd, Sept. 28
Ali Campbell & Astro of UB40, Oct. 6
For more information, www.pechanga.com,
www.elviscostello.com
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