Photo Credit: Bahram Foroughi

Last night, March 4, Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve blew into Woodstock, N.Y. for the first performance of their double-header at the Bearsville Theater. Now rounding out to the end of their limited duo run, the longtime collaborators delivered an era-spanning set that touched on some of the many classics they’ve crafted together in the past five decades. Highlights from the evening included “Deportee,” “When I Was Cruel No. 2,” “Harpies Bizarre,” “Clubland,” “Alison” (merged with “Everyday I Write the Book”) and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.”

Costello and Nieve can trace their connection back to 1977, when the two first joined forces as bandmates in the Attractions. Since then, they’ve appeared together on over 25 recordings and performed regularly worldwide. They launched their first two-man shows in 1995 and embarked on “The Lonely World Tour” in 2003. Their current outing follows the return of their duet stagings on the 2023 and 2024 world tour, which crossed such esteemed venues as Barcelona’s Palau de la Música, Budapest’s Béla Bartók Concert Hall and the Paris Philharmonie, before visiting Japan and playing a sold-out three-show finale in Tokyo. The British born-and-bred duo had a U.K. homecoming during their 2024 run, with two sold-out concerts at the London Palladium and a sold-out four-night run at Dublin’s Vicar Street featuring collaborators like the Brodsky Quartet and Sean McKeon. 

Costello and Nieve will return to the Bearsville Theater tonight for a follow-up performance. For tickets and more information, visit bearsvilletheater.com.

Get an inside look at Tuesday’s show in the gallery below, courtesy of photographer Bahram Foroughi.