Costello Show Peeks Into Rockers' Heads

On most talk shows, musical guests are relegated to the end of the program, with only a word or two of interview after a performance. But this week Bravo is premiering a new talk show hosted by Elvis Costello that takes another tack: It places musicians front and center, chatting about such rock esoterica as Laura Nyro's tempo changes, Heather Havrilesky writes in Salon.

"There are no probing questions about kicking heroin or feeling misunderstood by the press," she notes after watching the first episode, which includes Lou Reed and Bill Clinton. Instead, Costello asks the sort of questions musicians enjoy, about influences and the songwriting process. It's fun to watch Costello jam with Elton John or Rufus Wainwright. But for better or worse, the show feels "like a songwriter's version of Inside the Actor's Studio." (More Elvis Costello stories.)