In April 1978, Elvis Costello was twenty-three years old and already one of the most important musicians in the world. This Year’s Model — his second album, and one of the greatest records ever made — had been released just weeks earlier. “Pump It Up” and “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea” were tearing through the charts, and the American tour was introducing the Attractions to audiences who had only heard My Aim Is True. The difference was seismic. Steve Nieve’s frantic organ, Bruce Thomas’s propulsive bass, Pete Thomas’s relentless drums — the Attractions were a machine built for speed and fury. Costello in 1978 was angular, intense, and played every show like he had a personal grudge against boredom. The Landmark Theatre in Syracuse got him at this exact moment: post-debut, pre-fame, armed with a new album full of songs critics were already calling masterpieces. This was punk energy with pop craftsmanship — a young man in thick glasses who was about to take over everything.
Your Guide to Live Music in Upstate New York
