Summerfest has been dropping a bunch of BMO Pavilion announcements lately (Cheap Trick! Cypress Hill! More!), but this one is especially sweet: Elvis Costello & The Imposters will headline the outdoor venue on Saturday, June 24. YES.
First-come, first-served general seating is free at the BMO Pavilion, though reserved seating tickets are also available. Those tickets will go on sale Friday, March 17 at 10 a.m. at Summerfest.com, Ticketmaster.com, or in person at the Summerfest Box Office. Tickets include general admission to Summerfest the day of the show.
Summerfest 2023 will once again take place over three consecutive Thursday-Saturday blocks: June 22-24, June 29-July 1, and July 6-8. Additional headliners like Dave Matthews Band, Zac Brown Band, Imagine Dragons, Avett Brothers, Cheap Trick, Cypress Hill, ODESZA, James Taylor and Sheryl Crow, Eric Church, and Johnsonville brats have already been announced.
Here’s more about Costello:
Born in London and raised there and in Liverpool, D.P. MacManus later came to be known as “Elvis Costello”. He has been performing in public for over fifty years, solo, with the pianist, Steve Nieve and with the bands Rusty, the Attractions, His Confederates – including two former members of Elvis Presley’s TCB Band – The Rude Five, an acoustic ensemble, The Sugarcanes and his current ensemble, The Imposters.
He made his Carnegie Hall debut as the guest of Spinal Tap in 2001, returning in 2006 to appear with The Chieftains on St. Patrick’s Day and to perform “The Long Journey Home”, an anthem co-written with Paddy Moloney before making his own solo concert debut in 2014 with a two-night stand shortly before his 60th birthday. As a solo performer Costello has appeared on the bill of “The Bob Dylan Show”, while he and The Imposters have, in more recent years, toured as co-headliners with Blondie and in support of both Steely Dan and The Police.
Costello is a writer and part-time musician who made a number of records in the 20th Century, some of which are still remembered today, the most notable for many being the first five releases which were all produced by his friend, Nick Lowe and with whom he is always proud to share the bill and possibly a song or two. Elvis Costello is the composer and lyricist of over six hundred published titles, including fifteen songs co-written with Paul McCartney and renowned collaborations with Allen Toussaint, the Brodsky Quartet and T Bone Burnett.
Costello has composed songs for Roy Orbison, Georgie Fame, Chet Baker, Dusty Springfield, Solomon Burke and Johnny Cash and written songs with Loretta Lynn, Bill Frisell, Aimee Mann, Chris Difford, Rosanne Cash and Kris Kristofferson, Carole King and his wife, Diana Krall. His compositions have been recorded by George Jones, Linda Ronstadt, June Tabor, Christy Moore, Norma Waterson and Bjork.
Costello’s most enduring songwriting collaboration has been with Burt Bacharach beginning with the song, “God Give Me Strength” in 1995. Their co-written, award-winning album “Painted From Memory” led to the composition of a significant number of songs for musical theatre, some of which were heard first on the album, “Look Now”, the E.P. “Purse” and collected on the four-album set, “The Songs Of Bacharach & Costello”, released early in 2023. He is a member of both The Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2020. Costello was awarded an O.B.E. for his services to music.
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