How Long Is Elvis Costello Concert?
Elvis Costello is an English singer-songwriter who has been active in music since the late 1970s and has released many albums both as a solo artist and with the bands The Attractions & The Imposters; his biggest hits include “Alison” & “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding”. Strong points about Costello include the fact that he is a gifted songwriter, whose songs are full of humor; he has experimented with many styles and genres; and his concerts are very entertaining. But what exactly does ‘Elvis Costello and the Imposters: Live’ entail, and how long does it last? For the fans, the main questions that arise are regarding the set length and the number of songs that will be performed.
A classic Elvis Costello show lasts from 90 minutes to 120 minutes, excluding the encore(s). His set lengths have changed little over the years, and he is still performing on the road into his 60s. Typically, a Costello concert contains 20 to 30 songs from his song list, hits, popular tracks, and new songs if the artist is promoting his new album.
Overall, during his early years with The Attractions in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Costello concerts tended to last around 90 minutes. This enabled him to play short, sharp, explosive live sets with his backing group The Attractions, including ‘Pump It Up,’ ‘Radio Radio,’ and other early hits. The energy and hostility exhibited in his early performances contributed to the formation of his concert persona as a relentlessly aggressive performer.
When he first started doing concerts as a solo performer in the early 1980s, and as he started experimenting with country and classical pop styles, Costello was gradually increasing the length of his sets. His shows in the late 80s and 90s were almost always long, usually taking up to two hours or more, especially when he was on solo acoustic tours. This allowed him to have a chance to focus on some of the less popular album tracks and contents, along with the chart toppers.
Today, Elvis Costello is an active performer who continues to deliver very long concerts. Despite his age, where he is now 60 years old, and his past cancer episode, critics have noted that his energy has not waned during recent tours like the solo ‘Just Trust’ tour that he embarked on in early 2020, covering the major US cities. During The Imposters co-headline tour with Blondie in the same year, Costello was performing a set of at least 90 minutes before the encores.
This is a list of songs you are likely to hear Elvis Costello perform live: ‘Watching the Detectives,’ ‘(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea,’ and ‘Pump It Up,’ are virtually guaranteed to appear, as are ‘Alison’ and his cover of ‘(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding. ’ More obscure tracks are likely to make an appearance, as he likes to pepper his
It is not always certain how many encores there will be, but he usually comes back for 2 or 3 more songs after the first set, which can contain 18 to 25 songs. He has done 5 or 6 song encores during some of his longest live performances. His enthusiasm and desire to engage audiences usually define how much more content he is willing to share. And the fans are always happy for every extra minute of a performance from one of the most witty lyricists in rock and roll.
Although Elvis Costello has performed in concert halls and opera houses, where the venues themselves are more appropriate for seated performances, general admission and standing room-only shows are where he is in his element. Early on, he was attracted to punk, and the New Wave laid the foundation for the energetic and audience-involving concerts that he still enjoys performing even after years in the industry. Therefore, the fans should step in, ready to stand for what may be a two-hour ride even today, as Costello is 70 years old. Fortunately, his sets always warrant the duration of Elvis and his bands’ musician skills, delivering a different show every night.
There are some significant factors that may contribute to the fact that Elvis Costello can still perform such long concerts to this day, including the fact that he has a diverse and extensive discography, which can enable him to select new songs for his set list, his passion for sharing stories with the audience, and his seemingly endless stamina for performing even after recent health problems. His natural talent fuels the performance, so much so that he does not appear to get tired even during such lengthy shows packed full of punk attitude. In other words, Costello, as a final word, is a great entertainer who rarely wants to end a show after one and a half hours.
Thus, although no two tours are identical, one can always expect at least 90 minutes of the real thing once Elvis Costello and his faithful Imposters are on stage. His shows often go for over two hours, with the reprises included, as he does not often allow his fans to get enough of him. Costello is the eternal showman, and at this pace, the man is only in his early sixties; retirement does not appear to be anywhere on his horizon. I would like to remind any lady and gentleman attending an Elvis Costello concert to put on comfortable shoes as the marathon man of music will take everyone through an evening of singing and dancing.
