At least I get to hear one of Elvis' Concerts from this summer

I just got a copy of the Summer stage show from July. Not the greatest sound of of the shows I have, but I don't care. Cos well I need my EC fix today. I'm completely bummed about the whole Pittsburgh concert scene, as well as my lack of work situation.

All me to pass judgment on the show he put on at the Summerstage on July 11, 2003.

The show opens with a rather disappointing Waiting For the End of World...which was a frequent opener for the Cruel Tour..which is why I'm a bit let down by this. He follows with Beyond Belief....(Do you have to be so cruel to be callous) As I'm listening to this..I can't fault Mr. Costello's vocals they are superb..but damn the audience was noisy..Don't you love being able to hear what the audience is saying while a song is playing?

After Beyond Belief we are treated to a rousing Radio Radio. It's almost funny to hear the audience join in on the chorus. (if only some of em would shut the hell up) Accidents Will Happen is what follows and it's still one of my favorite EC tracks.

I'm sneaking a peak at the setlist over at the Homepage and I only see one disappointing thing; I Want You is not on it. A plus for me is Everyday I Write the Book...except the loud mouths yackity pood through it. This is one song I adore live. (I wish he had done it in Pittsburgh)
and just when I thought it was over..he kicked it up a notch! Oh Elvis...sing this one for me...

Oh my honey bunny Elvis-y poo...Everyday I'd Write A Book for you..

Ooops lapsed into lust mode...and only 5 tracks in.

Next up is one of my favorite's from Kojak Variety: Everybody's Crying Mercy. Something about his voice on this track sends me into fits. I can't explain it.

What I see in this recording so far..and I'm now 7 tracks in, is that this man is still up for a loud rock show. Which has me questioning the next very not so rocking album, North, that he's releasing..it looks like on Oct 1 of this year.

Another baffler with this setlist...is the lack of tracks from Cruel, which is by far the best thing he's recorded since Blood and Chocolate in 86..I'm by no means saying that the albums in between are inferior..just that B and C is totally stellar in his catalog.

The three tracks from Cruel that make the cut for this show, 45 , Tart and Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)...Lots of audience gabbing during 45..but it doesn't detract much from Elvis' stellar vocals. What I want to know is where the hell did Alibis go. Grrrr at it's absence.

I'm waiting anxiously to hear my favorite track in the first encore: Man Out of Time. Now you all know where that title came from.

One of my favorite moments so far is the rocking Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind? It makes me want to get up and shake my ass around my bedroom. Ok..no one wants to see or know about that...but hey..I can't help it. This is one song that makes you want to get up and move. Preferrably in a suggestive manner in front of the man singing.

I do throw a question out..where did the song Either Side Of The Same Town come from. He mentioned something at the end of that song..but it went by me too fast to hear.

All in all the quality of the show is a B+ A-. Spoiled only by a very talkative audience. If anyone would like to hear it as well...email me and we can work out something