Elvis Costello and Charlie Sexton coming to Beaver Creek

Mark Seliger/Courtesy photo
While The Amp already has been going strong this summer, Vilar Performing Arts Center is just kicking off this season’s robust lineup with Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton June 28.
Costello arrived on the music scene with the first wave of 1970’s British punk, backed by a fierce band. But he quickly moved away from loud, fast punk, delivering his signature style with the 1979 album “Armed Forces.”
If you go…
What: Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton
When: 7 p.m. June 28
Where: Vilar Performing Arts Center
Tickets: $163.85-$220.35
More info:
Throughout the years, he hasn’t confined himself to one or two genres. Rather, he has run the gamut, from pop to classic and collaborations with the likes of Paul McCartney, ultimately stretching into more esoteric projects as he grew older, while also partnering with contemporary Latino singers, hip-hop group the Roots and R&B legends like Allen Toussaint. Though he has spanned a variety of musical styles, one constant, in the form of musical adventure, remained.

“Elvis Costello is one of those artists who just defies categorization. He’s been a punk poet, a pop craftsman, a jazz crooner, a country balladeer — you name it. But no matter the genre, his songwriting has always been razor-sharp and deeply human,” said Owen Hutchinson, the Vilar’s artistic director.
Attracting him to the Vilar stage is a significant milestone for the venue, since he’s played every major stage in the world.

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“Now, he’s bringing that incredible musical legacy to our intimate mountain venue,” Hutchinson said. “What I love about hosting a show like this at the Vilar is how personal it becomes. You’re not watching from the rafters — you’re right there in our ‘living room,’ as many artists think of it. I think it’s going to be one of those nights people remember for a long time — a rare opportunity, and honestly, a real privilege for all of us.”
His latest six-disc box release, “Elvis Costello’s King of America & Other Realms,” reviews his musical journey from Hollywood to the Deep South and beyond with longtime creative partner T Bone Burnett. It features a remaster of the classic 1986 album by the same name, as well as a previously unreleased 1987 live show at Royal Albert Hall and a collection of other songs, including demos, outtakes and live recordings.
“If you are familiar with the songs of ‘King of America’ and then listen to the collections of sketches and solo performances on (the included) ‘Le Roi Sans Sabots,’ you may see a different picture,” Costello said, adding that the latter “has been a little like developing an old negative to discover a photograph, close to a very familiar image but crucially different in composition and implication. It seems that sometime after these initial solo sessions, I resolved to balance the break-up theme with lyrics with a more satirical note.”
On June 28, he performs with Charlie Sexton — an iconic guitarist and songwriter in his own right.
Sexton went from what could have been a passing teenage idol to a blues and rock legend, with fellow Austin musicians, such as Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughn, helping him develop. As an early session player, he recorded with The Rolling Stones, Don Henley and Bob Dylan and released his self-titled debut album at age 20. That led to movie themes, tours and recordings with Dylan and Dave Matthews — and much more.
“There’s going to be this incredible energy between two musicians who are not only masters of their craft but also deeply connected to the stories they tell in their songs,” Hutchinson said.
