"I've got a bit of a dental emergency and my face is all swollen up," Elvis Costello said, upon taking the stage at the Joint. And it was clear that the usually unrestrained Costello managed to hold a little back on opener "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes." But halfway through the next song, a quick-time arrangement and rocked-out take on his hit, "Everyday I Write the Book," Costello seemed to give up protecting any stitches in his mouth and offered up his full-throated baritone roar. "Excuse me if I don't smile much," Costello said at one point after that—not that he has ever been known for a toothy grin
With the possible exception of Bruce Springsteen, Costello is the most vibrant performer from the '70s still going strong. And Costello's latest disc, Delivery Man, provided a few of the highlights in the 23-song set, including the title track "Country Darkness," "Needle Time," a killer version of "Monkey to a Man" and set-closer "Scarlet Tide." Considering Costello's eclectic output (including ballet from lieder) over the years, the new material fit surprisingly well with his early rock classics like "Alison," "Radio, Radio," "Pump it Up" and "Watching the Detectives." Obviously, Costello's sensibility has expanded significantly since he was valedictorian of the class of '77. But ultimately, guitar rock is what he does best and stripped away of his occasionally elaborate and perverse studio approaches, Costello, backed by the Imposters, offered a surprisingly straightforward approach to rock. For example, Costello replaced the druggy haze of the studio take on "Clubland" with a squalling and furious guitar solo that went straight for the gut.
For such a mercurial artist, Costello has never been afraid to be a crowd-pleaser. Yet his audience, even in Vegas, has also grown remarkably accommodating of his tendency to knock out unfamiliar material. A cover of Nick Lowe's "Heart of the City," for example, was clearly unrecognized by much of the audience, but coming after the hit, "Pump it Up," Costello managed to keep the crowd on their feet for it. Even though Costello played for only 90 minutes and left without an encore—despite his injured mouth—there was no sense that he had given anything less than a full performance. May he come back again soon.