Peace, Love and Hillary....

"Peace, Love & Understanding" never gets old to me, the song and the sentiment. Last night (and what a thrilling, exciting night!) at Hillary Clinton’s 60th Birthday Party at the Beacon Theater, Elvis Costello just tore that song up backed by the Wallflowers, the first time I’d seen him in a triple-rock-guitar lineup. An electrified Elvis followed that with a manic two-chord garage rock workout on Pump It Up. But let's back up a second from these encore songs.

Costello, on an off-day from his tour opening for Bob Dylan, was the hand-picked headline music at Hillary's birthday, with the Wallflowers opening and Billy Crystal hosting and joking. Starting his set, E.C. bounded on stage with an acoustic guitar and launched into Red Shoes to loud cheers, and then proceeded with a passionate Either Side of the Same Town (one of my favorite of his recent songs), a staccato and propulsive Veronica, and an accusatory River in Reverse. He pulled out a song called, I think, Sulphur to Sugarcane, identified as an old political number (don't quote me), into Alison, and then, finally, an apropos, chilling reading of The Scarlet Tide*, a song that always brings a tear to my eye. The Clintons were among the first to jump up from their seats to lead a standing ovation and, later, were incredibly gracious and laudatory in their public remarks that followed the music. It was a great set which I was very happy to see, since I haven't made it to any of the current solo gigs.

Finally, at the close of the night, Costello and the Wallflowers sang Happy Birthday, with Elvis Costello putting on a wonderful Elvis Presley croon and inserting "Happy Birthday Mrs. President," an update of the famous Marilyn Monroe line.

Here's Costello and the Wallflowers with the crowd on their feet.

Billy Crystal and Hillary Clinton in the green room basement of the Beacon.

Yup. Me and Hill, after I gave her a birthday gift of Costello cds.

Bill and Hillary walked off at the end of the night, into a scrum in a small room just outside stage right. I was squeezed up against the wall as Hillary spoke with pit-bull Congressman Charlie Rangel (my representative) about tax reform (I think, it was hard to hear). When Bill joined them, after a moment, he looked over at me, reached out , and shook my hand...they say he never met a hand he didn't want to shake.

Here's Elvis and Jakob Dylan in the basement green room, getting ready for photos w/ the Clintons.

*The Scarlet Tide

Well I recall his parting words
Must I accept his fate
Or take myself far from this place
I thought I heard a black bell toll
A little bird did sing
Man has no choice
When he wants every thing

We'll rise above the scarlet tide
That trickles down through the mountain
And separates the widow from the bride

Man goes beyond his own decision
Gets caught up in the mechanism
Of swindlers who act like kings
And brokers who break everything
The dark of night was swiftly fading
Close to the dawn of day
Why would I want him just to lose him again

We'll rise above the scarlet tide
That trickles down through the mountain
And separates the widow from the bride