LIVE REVIEW: Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Daryl Hall in Boston, MA (07.14.24)
An enjoyable double-bill – Elvis Costello & the Imposters with Charlie Sexton and Daryl Hall — stopped at MGM Music Hall in Boston on a recent Sunday. The tour had hit Mohegan Sun two days prior and was heading next to New York. They’ve scheduled a day or two off between shows. Everyone’s older now and needs their recovery time.
Being most familiar with his radio singles, I expected Elvis Costello’s set to be much more pop-pretty than soulful. Costello released his first album–My Aim is True– in 1977. I was only eight years old. Costello is a prolific songwriter and musician with an extensive music catalog. In 2022, Costello released his 32nd studio album with the Imposters, A Boy Named If. Costello and the Imposters with Charlie Sexton played a mix of hits and deeper cuts. He opened the set with weathered vocals for “Pump It Up. “After Costello’s set, I spoke to a woman in line for the bathroom who said she’d seen Elvis Costello several times, which was different every time. I appreciate that he mixes things up to create an engaging show.
The band, The Imposters with Charlie Sexton, looked dashing in sequined jackets and hats. Keyboardist Steve Nieve, particularly in a gold foil jacket. Elvis wore his standard suit, fedora hat, and shades. He changed the cadence of “Watching the Detectives” —it’s much slower and almost a spoken word performance. He seemed to be struggling at times with his breath. The 69-year-old musician is an impressive guitar player, deep and twangy, often soulful. It’s fascinating to watch him play. He uses guitar pedals and plays his signature Fender Jazzmaster, which features a whammy bar. A master musician, Costello presented unusual arrangements, orchestrations, and sound combos. The latter part of the set leaned into the blues.
On “Everyday I Write the Book,” he had downtempo, mumbly, and breathy vocals. Costello and Sexton play well off each other–jamming out with tons of wah-wah bluesy guitar on “Green Shirt.” Costello sat at the piano for the slow and gentle “Face in the Crowd.” Cool riffs and upright bass fueled “Mystery Dance,” another bluesy song. His speak-sing vocals sounded perfect for “Ghost Town.” He sat on a chair with his guitar for an extremely slow “Allison.” The set ended with an upbeat and energizing “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.” It was overall more low-key and mellow than I’d anticipated. The focus was more on the guitar-driven songs and Costello’s musicianship.
Initially, I thought I might skip out and head home early after Elvis Costello. Still, I stayed out of curiosity for Daryl Hall. I haven’t thought about Daryl Hall in a long time, if ever. Back in the day, I saw Daryl Hall & John Oates on MTV here and there. It was hard to avoid the six Hall & Oates Billboard #1 singles in the early 80s —”Rich Girl,” “Maneater,” “Kiss on My List,” “Private Eyes,” “Out of Touch,” and “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do).” I never realized Daryl Hall was such a sex symbol. Women were screaming out his name. One woman shouted: “Daryl, you’re my hall pass.” I wondered if she meant current (still handsome, older) 77-year-old Hall or 80s Hall.
The band set-up looked impressive, and soon, it was clear that Hall also struggled with breath and vocals, so he needed all the band backup. Four band members contributed backing vocals. Dressed in a blazer, jeans, and shades, Hall opened with “Maneater.” He moved to the piano for “Rich Girl.” He knew to play all the hits that the audience wanted to hear. For “Kiss on My List,” he sings and speaks slower with the band, singing the higher octaves of the chorus. A band can enhance a performer or mask weaknesses. On “Private Eye,” he sounded mumbly.
Hall performed a couple of new songs from his forthcoming album, D, which was his first album release in more than a decade. One of the new tunes had a catchy beat. “I hope you like that song,” Hall excitedly told the crowd. Hall crooned, somewhat unintelligibly at times, on a broken down into slow parts version of “Everytime You Go Away,” a song he wrote that became a hit for Paul Young in 1985. He dragged out the ending on the piano and said it was hard to stop playing the song. “I keep feeling that song,” he said. “You’re a treasure,” an audience member yelled out. As he stood at the keyboards, Hall was much more animated on “You Make My Dreams Come True.” The crowd loved him throughout. “I like this place,” Hall said. “It’s large but intimate.” MGM was only slightly more than half full for the show.
Featured image by: Mark Seliger
