Santa enjoyed Boot #5 so much with the Del Fuegos at Peabody’s Down Under that he wanted to experience another show live from Cleveland, but this time from the legendary Agora.

In accordance with the wishes of the mighty Mr. Claus, here we are at a WMMS Night Out at the Agora in anticipation of one of the biggest holiday surprises in many a year.

It’s Elvis Costello and the Attractions representing the new wave in a live Buzzard broadcast that hit the airwaves on December 5, 1977.

If you are a fan of Elvis C, you likely have this revered bootleg and cherish it for the gem it is.

If you are a newcomer to the Costello library of music, then be certain to begin your journey right here.

With Costello’s debut record My Aim is True having penetrated “import” status in the summer of 1977, CBS Records was anxious to bring the U.K. enigma to the states to start selling some records.

At that time, WMMS was a great place to not only break an artist, but also to sustain one.  If the quality was there, Cleveland and the surrounding areas would support the bands, just as they did with Bowie, Springsteen, KISS, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Mott the Hoople and dozens of others over the years.

In a display of ferocious efficiency and self-promotion, the band tears through 18 songs in 54 minutes.

The setlist is split between My Aim is True and Costello’s second album, This Year’s Model, which would be released in March 1978 to critical and commercial success, eventually being considered as one of the best albums of the new wave period and of Costello’s career.

About 20 seconds into the opener “Welcome to the Working Week,” it’s clear that the rock and roll dance party is on.  One after another, the tunes are powerful, succinct doses of pop brilliance.

The one-two-three-four non-stop roll of “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes,” “Hand in Hand,” “Waiting for the End of the World,” and “No Action” is Hall of Fame I-Pod material.

Twelve days after this show on December 17, 1977, Costello and the Attractions would appear on Saturday Night Live and interrupt their performance of “Less Than Zero” to break into a ripping take of “Radio, Radio,” Costello’s biting indictment of the music industry’s main outlet.

SNL producer Lorne Michaels would not permit Costello to return to the show until 1989.

http://rottenjello.multiply.com/video/item/61/Elvis_Costello_-_Radio_Radio_Saturday_Night_Live

Santa tells me that Elvis’ name began to show up on thousands of wish lists throughout the Midwest the week following this show.

If you missed your chance the first time around, be sure to grab Boot #6 in the 12 Boots of Christmas series RIGHT NOW and fill a spot on someone else’s wish list with this genuine holiday classic.

ELVIS COSTELLO SETLIST

complete zipped download

Welcome to the Working Week

(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes

Hand in Hand

Waiting for the End of the World

No Action

Less Than Zero

The Beat

No Dancing

Big Tears

Blame It On Cain

Little Triggers

Radio, Radio

You Belong to Me

Pump It Up

Lipstick Vogue

Watching the Detectives

Miracle Man

Mystery Dance