While Elvis Costello‘s “100 Songs and More” residency at NYC’s Gramercy Theater was announced as having no repeats across the 10 nights’ setlists, he told the crowd on Monday (the penultimate show) that, actually, there would be a few songs that had been played earlier in the run. But they hadn’t been played quite like this before at the venue.
In addition to Imposters/Attractions keyboardist Steve Nieve, who has joined Elvis for the back half of the Gramercy residency, he brought out the rest of The Imposters — drummer Pete Thomas (who was also in The Attractions), and bassist Davey Faragher — for the second half of the night. Those were not the only special guests either. During the encore, they were also joined by horn players Michael Leonhart, Donny McCaslin, and Stuart Bogie, and vocalist La Marisoul.
When this run was announced, they also announced 10 songs that would be played at each night, but the rulebook was clearly thrown out — along with “Deep Dark Truthful Mirror” and “Couldn’t Call It Unexpected #4” from the announced setlist — and their set included previously played numbers “Shipbuilding” and “A Face in the Crowd” (from Elvis’ in-progress stage musical adaptation of the film of the same name), along with “All This Useless Beauty,” “Hey Clockface,” “All the Rage,” “Monkey to the Man,” his cover of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” and more.
There was also a tribute to Burt Bacharach with three songs from the just-released The Songs of Bacharach & Costello box set, and the night ended the same as the previous eight shows with “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.” Check out the Night 9 setlist, photos of the show by Edwina Hay and a few fan-shot videos, below.
Elvis and Steve — and maybe the rest of The Imposters again — will wrap up the “100 Songs and More” residency on Wednesday (2/22), and then he’ll take The Imposters on the road for a short East Coast tour and in May is hosting a destination concert vacation in Iceland.
Pick up Elvis Costello vinyl in the BV shop.
SETLIST: Elvis Costello @ Gramercy Theater 2/20/2023
Blame It on Cain
All This Useless Beauty
You’ll Never Be a Man
Rocking Horse Road
Trick Out the Truth
What Is It That I Need That I Don’t Already Have?
Distorted Angel
Hey Clockface/How Can You Face Me?
The Last Confession of Vivian Whip
Fallen
You Lie Sweetly
In the Darkest Place
You Can Have Her
My Thief
Do You Want to Know a Secret
Surrender to the Rhythm
You Belong to Me
Country Darkness
Monkey to Man
That’s Not the Part of Him You’re Leaving
Poisoned Rose
A Face in the Crowd
All the Rage
Encore:
Shipbuilding
Cinco Minutos Con Vos
Detonantes (Little Triggers)
Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding