Daryl Hall and Elvis Costello Make Double-Feature Dreams Come True at the Greek: Concert Review
variety.comChris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Daryl Hall and Elvis Costello, take a seat. That might be a thing to shout out as a request the next time these two veteran singers co-headline a tour together, rather than calling out for “Maneater” or “Pump It Up.” It’s not that they aren’t standup guys, or that there is anything about their energy levels that suggests they need to take a load off.
It’s just that, when Hall and Costello played L.A.’s Greek Theater on Tuesday night, each of their sets really took off or peaked when they sat down for a spell.
It was strictly by coincidence, mind you, that they mutually proved that benching oneself can be good for a performance.. In the case of Hall, who is closing out these co-headliner shows, the transformative moment came when he put down his electric guitar after the first six songs and settled in at the piano.
This move marked the beginning of the “Philly soul” portion of the evening… rather obviously signalled when he began this second half by singing “I’m in a Philly Mood.” The rest of us quickly got in that mood, too, and stayed there, as Hall laid off the earlier bangers and got balladically vibey with sure-fire slow-burn tunes like “Sara Smile.” In Costello’s case, his turn at the piano was a short one, unlike Hall’s extended foray at the keys.
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