Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Seeing Elvis Costello in a venue of any size is always a fulfilling experience, but getting a rare chance to catch him and longtime collaborator/pianist Steve Nieve in a club as intimate as the Park West is even more remarkable, which is why demand warranted no less than four shows, including March 14 and 15 up next.

In terms of the second installment, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, who kicked of their career together in The Attractions, turned in a whopping two-and-a-half hours of deep cuts and a sprinkling off the “Radio Radio,” albeit in reconstructed but frequently fascinating arrangements.

Although the Englishmen have thus far toured all around America, these Chicago shows featured exclusive backing by Eleanor Whitmore on fiddle, Tony Garnier on double bass, Shaye Cohn on cornet and Sean McKeon on Uilleann pipes joining at the half way point.

Since St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, it was only fitting they adapted a moniker of The All-American-Irish Orchestra and that’s exactly the type of approach they applied to nearly 50 years of groundbreaking rock, punk, power pop and new wave-leaning material, plus plenty of surprises.

In fact, the unique format meant no track in the ever-rotating set list was off limits, from Costello’s solo electric social statement of sorts, “Deportee,” to applying live loops to “Watching The Detectives” as Nieve blew into a melodica.

The former told a tale about insisting they open for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers during a $3 double bill at the Riviera Theatre in the late 1970s, then proceeded to tip his hat to the troupe via “American Girl” and revive roughly the same era’s “(I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea.”

Some transformations worked better than others, though it probably all boiled down to the ear of the beholder, such as the normally cheery stomp of “Veronica” radically recast as a pensive ballad, “Mystery Dance” reframed as a blues burner or “Clubland” coming across with a bossa nova bounce.

Along the way, the 70-year-old Costello sounded like a cross between himself and a bit like Leonard Cohen, also singing in Italian, turning in both a tango and bolero, briefly playing piano and offering a particularly compelling stab at spoken word, each carefully tailored to the evening’s understated tone.

A relatively familiar stretch of Nick Lowe & Brinsley Schwarz’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding,” the iconic original “Alison,” a bit of “Everyday I Write The Book” and “Long Journey Home (Anthem),” co-penned with The Chieftains’ Paddy Moloney, helped bring it all full circle to cheerfully close out these nearly once-in-a-lifetime festivities.

For additional information on Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve, visit ElvisCostello.com.

For a list of upcoming Jam Productions concerts, visit JamUSA.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the Park West include Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve (Mar. 14-15); “Off Book: The Improvised Musical” (Mar. 20); Tom Green (Mar. 22); “Miss Muffy’s Murder Mystery” (Mar. 27); The Brothers Allmanac (Mar. 29); Carlos Ballarta (Apr. 4); Papadosio (Apr. 5); Jeff Wittek (Apr. 11); “Watch What Crappens” Live (Apr. 12); Triple Charm (Apr. 26); Nao (Apr. 29) and Stella Cole (Apr. 30). For additional details, visit JamUSA.com/Park-West.

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