Looking Out My Back Door

Once in love with Elvis, always in love with Elvis

My first Elvis was, of course, The King, Elvis Presley. I took a lot of shit for loving Elvis; in elementary school (late '60s-early '70s), I was always made fun of for saying I was an Elvis fan. Yes, I liked the Partridge Family and the Osmonds like most of my contemporaries, but I was not afraid to say I liked Elvis. And now I'm damn proud that I stood up for myself.

I still love Presley, but have also found room for another Elvis: Costello. When he broke onto the scene as an angry young punk from England, I liked a few of his songs, but thought he was a bit weird. He had this odd way of walking on the side of his foot and looked a lot like Buddy Holly.

Well, through the years, both Elvis and I have matured and branched out. He's embraced a variety of musical styles, from opera to chamber music to Burt Bacharach, and excelled at all of them. However, the man STILL rocks! I did something very unusual this past weekend, something that I hope becomes a new habit, and it's all because of Elvis. Let me explain.

A couple of months ago, I got an e-mail alert that Elvis was touring. I checked out the tour, and he was appearing nowhere near where I live (that has since changed), but he WAS scheduled to play The House of Blues in New Orleans on March 12. I LOVE The House of Blues in New Orleans. Love, love, love it. Up until last weekend, I had only eaten and drank there. This time I was determined to see Elvis, no matter what.

I called a few friends, all Elvis fans, to see if they'd join me on a great weekend adventure in Nawlins. All had financial or other commitments that prevented them from coming along. So, I called cousin Christine, who lives in Nawlins, and offered to take her to the show if she could get us tickets. Christine is VERY connected in that city, and getting the tickets took no more than a couple of phone calls and $50 per ducat. Which I was very happy to pay. It was then decided that I'd crash at her place and we'd have some good times Louisiana-style over the weekend, capped by the Elvis concert. I don't usually do crazy things like fly 1,500 miles to go to a concert and then fly right back home again, but after this past weekend, you can bet that I will slowly edge towards being a wild and spontaneous person, able to pick up and do fun things...maybe even at the last minute! Unplanned! How nutty is that?

We had a great time. The show was amazing. Elvis was amazing. I knew the names of less than half the songs, but loved them all. He played a full two hour show, pausing every couple of tunes to let his guitar technician sling a different guitar over his shoulder, and it was incredible. At the end, he performed a ballad (I think the title must have been something about the difference between a widow and a bride) and at one point stepped away from the microphone and sang without amplification. It took a few moments for the room to hush, but hush it did. I have never had this quality experience at a concert before, and doubt that anyone else could pull it off. Granted, The House of Blues accommodates only about 1,000 people, but still. Quite a trick. What a performance, and what a performer.

Elvis Costello has a great voice and exceptional songwriting skill. His lyrics are thoughtful, intelligent and poetic. Definitely someone I would love to meet and spend some time with. (Now I'm thinking of a blog entry along the lines of "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner," listing people I'd like to get to know over a meal! He's on the list.) Whether he's performing his own songs, those written by others (Charles Aznavour's "She," featured in "Notting Hill") or those written with others (any of his collaborations with Burt Bacharach, especially "God Give Me Strength"), he's terrific. After seeing him in such an intimate venue, I'm hooked for life. I'll be seeing you again, Elvis. Count on it!

posted by Hopster @ 11:35 AM