And a bicycle on the boy’s birthday…
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Today, Declan McManus, the original Napoleon Dynamite, God’s Comic, Howard Coward, the Imposter, the Little Hands of Concrete himself, Elvis Costello turns 52. Happy birthday! No other performer has tackled punk rock, new wave, country, blues, pop, soul, folk, jazz, and even classical music, and done it as deftly and with such wit. By far, he is my favourite songwriter, as anyone who has been forced an Elvis mix CD upon them knows. So today, I’ll be a fanboy.
My first memory of Elvis Costello was seeing the video for “Radio, Radio” which remains one of my favourite songs. I was just a kid surfing channels, and I came upon this music video. MuchMusic, the Canadian MTV, was not allowed in our household, because my father believed rock music was only about sex and violence (ironic that I ended up working here, I suppose). But there was something about this video that I couldn’t turn away from, and knowing that it was forbidden, only made it more alluring. What if my father walked in on me? But I couldn’t turn away…
Here was this skinny, nerdy punk. He wore glasses, seemed angry at his radio for some reason, and he had a strange way of standing and moving about, with his feet pointed towards each other, pigeon-toed. Who was this guy? And where were the half-naked women I was supposed to not be looking at?
The image of this anti-rockstar stayed with me, and it wasn’t until highschool that I finally sought him out. I took out “Trust” and “Live from the El Mocambo” from the local library. One album was an angry live punk show, and the other was this upbeat, new-wave pop music (with a picture of an old-timey big band on the back). The complete contradiction in style and attitude was enough to keep me hooked, and before long I made sure to own his entire contradictory discography (which was a lot, considering he’s so prolific, I had about 20 or so albums to catch up on at the time).
I finally got to meet the man briefly after a concert a few summers ago, and although I look like a complete tool in this picture, it’s only because I think I was legitimately starstuck at the realization that this weird, intriguing, and frenetic musician I saw on TV when I was 10 years old, was now standing beside me.
Happy birthday, Elvis!
adina says:
great post! I don’t trust people who tell me they don’t like elvis costello. Mind you, no one has ever told me that. Who would?
btw, the guy behind you makign the funny face completely negates any perceived tool factor.
-----
Fink says:
I have a similar type photo of when I met John Squire of the Stone Roses at CFNY after a radio interview (him, not me). I asked him if I could take a photo with him. He said “sure”, put his arm around my shoulder and I became a quivering bowl of jelly. I mumbled “thanks” and wandered off in a daze.
Sarah says:
Why oh why do I look like I’m possessed in that photo?
As per your post, you were the one that got me cranked up about Elvis....thanks Johnny!
Otis says:
Elvis is a genius, and he’s only 51, not 52.
Phil says:
A few months ago I was talking with someone in their 40’s and mentioned Elvis Costello. Their response, “Who?” It’s hard for me to believe a person could be that clueless. Anyway, I never tire of the music of Elvis Costello. He has a song for every moment and mood.
Another Johnny says:
I too saw Elvis on TV when I was , er, 16? My Dad and I used to watch Saturday Night Live together (yes, I had a cool Dad) and after he abandoned his first song, he launched into “Radio, Radio” and I was totally hooked. My heart was beating fast. I think I chewed on the big pillow I was holding my my lap. My Dad’s only comment was ‘That man looks as if he has been educated beyond his intelligence.” So funny! Saw Elvis most recently last summer on the Delivery Man tour in Houston TX. Wish I could have caught a minute to grab a picture. One of my favorite shows was in New Orleans at the State Theater on Canal Street - now 6 feet under water. Dang. How things are connected, huh?