Watch Elvis Costello pay tribute to Burt Bacharach at night 1 of NYC residency (video, setlist)
Elvis Costello began his “100 Songs and More” residency at NYC’s Gramercy Theatre on Thursday night (2/9). Each night of the run will have a different setlist, with no songs repeated, and Thursday night’s solo set had Costello paying tribute to friend and collaborator Burt Bacharach who passed away that day at the age of 94. “It’s been a tough day,” Costello said from the stage, Variety reports. “You know, a really great man left us yesterday. And people say, when somebody leaves you who’s a great age, they say, well, it was a good ending. Yeah, but it’s never time to say goodbye to somebody if you love ‘em. And I’m not ashamed to say I did love this man.”
Costello played three Bacharach classics — “Baby, It’s You,” “Anyone Who Has a Heart,” and “Please Stay” — and said he’d get to more of the songs they’d written together later in the run. He introduced the first of the three, “Baby, It’s You,” by saying, “I always like the opportunity to play one of his songs. And I was thinking, I want to sing a gentle song of his… I learned this here song from the Beatles. And you can sing with me if you want.”
Night one of Costello’s residency focused on material Costello wrote before the release of his debut album, 1977’s My Aim Is True, and he also included a few covers of pre-1977 songs from Van Morrison, Grateful Dead, and more. See the full setlist below, along with some attendee-taken videos.
A new box set collecting all the published songs Costello and Bacharach wrote together, The Songs of Bacharach & Costello, is out next month.
Costello’s Gramercy Theatre residency continues through February 22, and when it’s over, he has a tour with The Imposters.
SETLIST: ELVIS COSTELLO @ GRAMERCY THEATRE 2/9/2022 (via)
Welcome to the Working Week
Miracle Man
Hoover Factory
(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
Stranger in the House
I Can’t Turn It Off
Sneaky Feelings
Imagination (Is a Powerful Deceiver)
Domino
Living in Paradise
Baby It’s You
Poison Moon
Dupree’s Diamond Blues
Wave a White Flag
I’m Not Angry
Anyone Who Had a Heart
Radio Sweetheart / Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)
Mystery Dance
Mr. Moon
No Dancing
Cheap Reward
Alison
Encore:
Please Stay
(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding
