Elvis Costello Coming To Mountain Winery

We know the pic is old - we just couldn't help ourselves.

The Mountain Winery is an interesting beast: it's not in the city, their lineups tend to be full of schmaltzy legacy artists, it's one of our favorite venues in the Bay Area. Why, you ask? Well, to be frank, the vibe at this venue is just unparalleled. It's in an old stone winery on a hilltop in Saratoga, and it offers up a beautiful view of the whole bay area. What's more, the sound is great and the place is full of great seats. When we saw David Byrne there a few years back, it was unbelievable level of fun. The problem is, we seldom find a reason to get down to the venue, since it's lineup tends to err on the side of not being to our taste.

Today the venue announced their 2009 schedule, and as usual it's populated by artists who are either past their prime, extremely "soft", or just not pushing many boundaries with their new material. That is, save one: Elvis Costello is on the lineup for August 17th. Perhaps not coincidentally, Costello's appearance falls just before his wife, Diana Krall, makes a three night stand at the venue. Either way, we're not complaining.

Presumably Costello will be touring to support his new record Secret, Profane, & Sugarcane, as he's billed as "Elvis Costello & The Sugarcanes". No word on what that band lineup will consist of, exactly, but we can assure you from personal experience that Costello puts on one of the best live shows you'll see, anywhere. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy one of our favorite Costello B-Sides (and there are a lot of them), "Hoover Factory".

mp3: Elvis Costello - Hoover Factory

Tickets go on sale next Sunday, April 26th at 10 AM.