Elvis Costello has announced 2025 tour dates for “Radio Soul!: The Early Songs of Elvis Costello.” The tour kicks off in Seattle, WA, on June 12, and spans the United States with stops in Portland, Reno, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Nashville, before closing in Miami Beach on July 12.
As the playful billing suggests, the show will feature songs drawn from his early releases, ranging from “My Aim Is True” in 1977 to “Blood & Chocolate” in 1986, along with a few surprises.
Those nine years saw the first appearances of some of Elvis Costello’s most renowned compositions— from “Watching The Detectives” to “I Want You”—along with songs that have remained in The Imposters’ live repertoire for over twenty years, including “Alison,” “Man Out Of Time,” and “Brilliant Mistake.”
Asked about the surprising theme of this tour, Costello responded:
“For any songwriter, it has to be a compliment if people want to hear songs written up to fifty years ago. Among them, ‘Radio Soul,’ the first draft of what eventually became ‘Radio Radio.’”
Regarding the decision to highlight a specific era, Costello noted:
“You can expect the unexpected and the faithful in equal measure. Don’t forget this show is performed by Elvis Costello & The Imposters, an ensemble which includes three people who first recorded this music and two more who bring something entirely new. They are nobody’s tribute band.
“The Imposters are a living, breathing, swooning, swinging, kicking, and screaming rock and roll band who can also turn their hands to a pretty ballad when the opportunity arises.”
The Imposters are Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas, and Davey Faragher, joined once again by guitarist Charlie Sexton.
Recent performances of Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton have received widespread acclaim:
“Costello is proving he’s an indefatigable force of nature, and one of the greatest showmen in the history of rock ’n’ roll. We’re lucky to bear witness.” – Nashville Scene, 1/30/24
“Elvis Costello and the Imposters laid the crowd to waste.” – Riverfront Times, 1/30/24
Costello concluded:
“If there is an encore and we play ‘Farewell, OK,’ it probably means some of those ‘Early Songs’ will have been performed in your city for the very last time. I don’t want to go back; I want to bring these songs into the present day once more, in case they are ever pushed aside by the next number I write.
“You could say time is running out, but only time will tell.
“Don’t be late, the band hits at eight.”
This tour follows the recent release of “King Of America & Other Realms”—a 6-CD anthology that tells the story of that 1986 album and the music it inspired. The “King Of America” songs are expected during the mid-show interlude, along with songs written as far back as 1975 and even some of those “pretty ballads” Costello has promised.
Tickets go on sale at ElvisCostello.com.
Artist Presale: Wednesday, December 11 at 10:00 a.m. local time
General On Sale: Friday, December 13 at 10:00 a.m. local time
“Radio Soul!: The Early Songs of Elvis Costello” Tour Dates
