By Pete Donahue

For those who haven’t been able to check out Elvis Costello’s music series, Spectacle, on the Sundance Channel, there is a recent episode that may turn you on to the show (or make you want to see it even more than you already have).

Recently, Costello had an episode featuring She & Him, Jenny Lewis and Jakob Dylan. Yes – all three acts on one episode.

To kick off the episode, Elvis leads the Imposters (with “Farmer” Dave Scher filling in on keyboards and drummer Pete Thomas’ daughter, Tennessee, joining as a second drummer) through a cover of Steely Dan’s “Show Biz Kids.” After bringing out M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel for an interview, She & Him perform a nice version of “Change is Hard.”

But then comes Jenny Lewis, my personal highlight of the episode. She delivers a great version of “Pretty Bird” featuring M. Ward and Elvis on electric guitars. Then the cast relives an Acid Tongue moment as Zooey joins Jenny and Elvis on a blast through “Carpetbaggers.”

If that isn’t enough, Jakob Dylan sits down with Elvis and talks about his younger days trying to leave his father’s shadow, the Clash, and acoustic guitars. As he plays a quick solo version of “One Headlight” and “On Up the Mountain,” it amazes me is how much his voice sounds like the elder of the Dylans (or would it be Zimmermans?) Jakob and Elvis then launch into a version of the Clash’s “Straight to Hell,” before the entire cast goes through the Nick Lowe-penned “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding.” As if it’s not a great song already, it’s interesting to see all those great performers (plus Jonathan Rice) on stage.

So there you have it, Spectacle with Elvis Costello. Be sure to check out the episode featuring The Police on the eve of their final show at Madison Square Garden. It’s actually pretty interesting to see Elvis and Sting play lutes together (seriously).

The Police and Elvis Costello tour came through Milwaukee last night. When acts of such quality and tenure come through the state, it’s impossible to ignore the longevity and greatness of their work. Lucky for our readers MoB contributor/photographer Daniel Brielmaier was in the photo pit at the Marcus Amphitheater providing all of us with the beautiful shots below.

Here’s Dan’s take:

Elvis Costello opened the evening with pretty much the hits you’d expect. He brought Sting out for “Allison”, which was the highlight of his 1/2-hour set.

The Police took the stage of The Marcus Amphitheater shortly before 9pm Friday in front of an adoring, and graying, Milwaukee crowd. The weather was just perfect for the show, 75° and a little sticky. Sting’s voice was in top shape, belting out the hits like it was 1983, though I struggled to find his bass anywhere in the mix. He LOOKED like he was playing, but there was little evidence sonically. Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland really held the show together musically. For me, so much of The Police is Sting’s bass, that when it’s not up front, you really miss it.

They rolled through a great selection of classics: Message in a Bottle / Walking on the Moon / Demolition Man / Voices in My Head / When the World Is Running Down / Don’t Stand So Close to Me / Driven to Tears / Hole in My Life / Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic / Wrapped Around Your Finger / De Do Do Do / Invisible Sun / Can’t Stand Losing You // Roxanne / King of Pain / So Lonely / Every Breath You Take / Next to You.

In my opinion, The Police were at their best when they played the tracks off of their first album-“Outlandos d’Amour”, 5 in total. They kept the arrangements varied and interesting throughout the evening, and with the exception of Sting’s lack of bass, it was an excellent show.

Discuss: What did you think of the show? Highlights? Was this your first time seeing The Police and/or Elvis Costello? When was the first time you saw either group?

Myspace: The Police
Myspace: Elvis Costello

Find MP3′s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic