My Aim Is True

Summer is definitely a time for fun stuff, and the 2nd half of my summer will definitely be all about enjoying myself. But, lest you worry, I'm lining up plenty of fun things for the first part of my summer as well.

One of my favorite parts of summer is, or was, the different concerts and festivals that would go on. Before I... got old (apparently), I would usually go to one or two concerts in the summer. Though I've definitely slowed down, I'm planning on bringing the trend back.

Along those lines, I'll be going to see a concert this summer while I'm also doing the summer school thing. I was incredibly surprised to find that one of my favorite singers, and one of the most prolific musicians of all-time would be coming to North Carolina (North Carolina!) this summer to play as he put out a new album. That singer: Elvis Costello.

Elvis Costello is one of the most... amazing, and talented musicians out there. It's really amazing to trace the different sounds that he's picked up and incorporated into his records. Costello has gone from post-punk, to New Wave, to old school R&B, to country, to jazz (sort of), to working with people like Burt Bacharach and  Allen Toussaint. He's really an amazing man who can adapt, grow and change yet still, in some way, remain very much the same person and produce the same kind of music.

But "my" Elvis Costello, or my favorite period of his, is the first few albums of his career: My Aim is True, This Year's Model, Armed Forces and Get Happy!! Those are four consecutive great albums, and that's an amazing for to kick off a career. While I've liked a lot of the stuff he did after those albums, that's my favorite Elvis Costello; a kind of post-punk melodic rock in the case of the first 3 or, in the case of Get Happy!!, soul and R&B done better than almost anyone else could do it and a great, fun record that is great from beginning to end.

I first started listening to Elvis Costello in high school, while most of my friends were listening to pop or rap/hip-hop or horrible, horrible new rock and he was definitely someone I kept listening to as I went through life, and someone who I really came to appreciate. To be honest, he probably gets a little lost in the shuffle of the all-time greats in rock, but his name should be right up there.

Anyways, I'm going to see Elvis play in Cary, NC (which is near Raleigh and Chapel Hill) on June 14th. It's a Sunday night show at an amphitheater, so I can sit out on the grass in the warm summer evening (hopefully the weather will be good that is) and listen to Mr. Costello do his thing. I love outdoor shows in the summer too, especially in places where it gets really hot. I should say, I like outdoor summer shows that start in the evening, when the sun sets and it's still warm but the sun isn't beating down on you and causing you to burn. But by the time the show starts, the sun will be down and it will be cool(er) and I can enjoy hearing some good music. But I'm excited, as this will be my first concert in a long, long time as well.

I thought I'd cap this post off with a video of Elvis playing one of his most famous songs, "Alison," with a little Elvis Presley mixed in as well. But I also want to know what you think about Elvis Costello- have you ever listened to him? Do you like his stuff or hate it? What about summer concerts- have you been to a lot? Are you going to any this summer?