(NORTHAMPTON, Mass., TROY and KINGSTON, N.Y.) – Elvis Costello will perform three solo concerts in the greater region in the next two weeks: at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, Mass., on Sunday, November 3, 2013; at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Wednesday, November 6; and at the Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) on Thursday, November 14, at 8pm. Having just released “Wise Up Ghost,” an album he recorded with the Roots, Costello – who is an amazing entertainer and a wonderful solo performer – is expected to play songs from throughout his career.

When Elvis Costello’s first record was released in 1977, his bristling cynicism and anger linked him with the punk and new-wave explosion. Though the main connection he had with the punks was his unbridled passion, he tore through rock’s back pages taking whatever he wanted, as well as borrowing from country, Tin Pan Alley, pop, reggae, R&B, and other genres. Over his career, that musical eclecticism distinguished him through his fiercely literate lyrics and richly diverse music.

Elvis Costello was born Declan Patrick MacManus in London, England and raised in Liverpool. The son of British band leader Ross MacManus, Costello took his pseudonym from Elvis Presley and his father’s stage name (Day Costello). He began performing professionally in 1969 and was a musician and/or singer in many bands around London before forming a moderately successful pub-rock band called Flip City in the mid-1970s.

Working full time as a computer operator, he landed his first record deal with Stiff Records in 1977 and recorded his first album, “My Aim Is True,” while on vacation. The album was a smash hit in England and landed Costello a worldwide distribution deal with Columbia Records. Forming his backup group, The Attractions, for his second album, Costello went on to record several popular and influential albums over the next decade. Today, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he is regarded as one of the most influential and popular singer/songwriters in modern music.