Daryl Hall and Elvis Costello — a pair of singular pop music personalities — recently shared a bill at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap. The two men and their bands presented engrossing sets of music very familiar to ’70s and ’80s radio aficionados, making for a highly entertaining summer night in the national park.

For the second half of the evening, Daryl Hall held down the fort, spinning gold from a rich catalog of tunes from Daryl Hall and John Oates. Daryl was touring solo, and there is some doubt if he and John Oates will ever perform together again after some hard feelings over rights management. For his part, Hall seemed a bit introspective at Wolf Trap on July 25, but he got a little rowdier as the night went on. In the midst of his set, he told the audience they were being quiet, but then met them with an approval: “You’re listening!” And this seemed to cheer him as he dedicated himself to the next tune.

As for the tunes, Daryl revisited Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, his second solo album, with MTV staple “Dreamtime” early in the set, and he spotlighted his new album, D, in the encore with “Can’t Say No To You.” Both were great tunes sang with heart; the first sang from center stage with a guitar and the second from state right with a synthesizer.

Watch the official music video for “Can’t Say No to You” by Daryl Hall on YouTube (–hey, there’s Dave Stewart!):

Daryl Hall opened his set with “Maneater” (1982), the famed Hall and Oates single featuring one of the most killer sax solos in rock music. Accompanying Daryl was the man who played that sax — Charles DeChant, a staple of the Hall and Oates band going back more than four decades. It was wonderful to see Charles backing up Daryl, and he was part of a strong ensemble band who played the songs really well. As the show progressed, Daryl presented “Rich Girl” (1977), “Private Eyes” (1981), and “Sara Smile” (1976), among others. He played “You Make My Dreams” (1981) as the second song of his encore.

Elvis Costello opened the evening, and Elvis and The Imposters were joined by guitar hero Charlie Sexton. Together, the five men were a sight to behold as they stomped through some of the best songs in the Costello catalog. They came out of the gate strong with “Pump It Up” (1978), a personal fave by Elvis Costello and The Attractions, and they went straight into “Watching the Detectives” (1977), an enduring Elvis tune that he’s identified as one of his own personal faves.

As longtime Costello fans know, The Imposters have two of the three members of The Attractions and keyboardist Steve Niece and drummer Pete Thomas relished the opportunity to dig into their shared catalog. Both men had a workmanlike professional demeanor, although you could see they were in good spirits. Bassist Davey Faragher of The Imposters, hanging close to Elvis, was a little looser and clearly enjoying the evening as well.

As mentioned earlier, Elvis and The Imposters benefitted mightily from the addition of blues rocker Charlie Sexton, who jammed with the band and also sounded great. Charlie maintained some great beats, played memorable riffs, and generally looked cool as hell while he too hung with Elvis. Charlie accompanied Elvis Costello and The Imposters in their last visit to Wolf Trap as well, and I hope he continues to hang around for the foreseeable future.

As the show progressed, the band piled on other great tunes, including “Everyday I write the Book” (1983) and “Clubland” (1981), the latter of which was mixed with a bit of “Ghost Town” by The Specials.

Watch the official music video for “Everyday I Write the Book” by Elvis Costello and The Attractions on YouTube:

Toward the end of the set, Elvis played perhaps my all-time favorite song of his — “Alison” (1977), maybe the most powerful song of nostalgia and regret that I’ve ever enjoyed. And it wouldn’t be a complete Costello show without his famed cover of “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding,” always one to get stuck in your head.

Daryl Hall and Elvis Costello have wrapped their tour as of now, although both pop up over the rest of the year in separate performances. As both men continue to perform some really fine songs, you’ll be pleased to reacquaint yourself with them the next time you can catch them live.

Here are some photos of Daryl Hall and his band performing at Wolf Trap on July 25, 2024. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.

Here are some photos of Elvis Costello and The Imposters with Charlie Sexton performing at Wolf Trap on July 25, 2024. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.