Elvis Costello has played with everyone from Burt Bacharach to Rosanne Cash. But the man with whom he has played the most is Steve Nieve. On this tour, Elvis gave second billing to his longtime keyboardist. The two began a four-night stand at Chicago's Park West theater on Wednesday evening.

Costello's recording catalog spans nearly five decades. It isn't easy to keep old songs fresh after all these years, but the English musician managed to do so by changing many of the arrangements. He was three verses into "When I Write the Book" before I recognized it. The bouncy "Veronica" became a melancholy ballad.

The show began with Elvis alone on stage, accompanying himself on guitar. After two songs, he was joined by Steve, whose excellent keyboards added depth to the songs. The two continued like this for over an hour until Eleanor Whitmore (fiddle), Tony Garnier (double bass), and Shaye Cohn (cornet) joined them. After a few songs, Sean McKeon on Uilleann pipes (an instrument similar to bagpipes) completed the ensemble. With the other musicians on stage, the set included songs with an Irish, Spanish, and New Orleans feel.

Between songs, Elvis told stories of his parents, his career, and growing up in London.

Costello closed with a rousing version of the Nick Lowe-penned classic "What's So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding?" and a moving acoustic rendition of "Allison" - my favourite song of his.

Elvis spent four nights in Chicago to close out this tour. Each evening featured a different setlist. I was fortunate to see the first of these shows. I showed up twenty minutes before the start and bought a ticket that sat me in the front row. I  heard a fantastic music set and felt the joy Mr. Costello experiences when performing.