Elton John shakes the walls, offers tribute to Elizabeth Taylor
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11083/1134454-388.stm
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11083/1134454-388.stm
Concert review
Thursday, March 24, 2011
When word came Wednesday morning that Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor had died, those holding tickets for the show at Consol Energy Center were likely thinking two things: "That's really sad" and "Uh-oh, what's this going to do to Elton?!"
Those concerns were put to rest when he arrived on stage shortly after 8 in one of his flamboyant jackets, a smile on his face and arms raised in the air. He is, after all, a consummate professional.
He may or may not have been thinking about his dear friend when he sat down to play his majestic suite "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding." With guitarist Davey Johnstone and drummer Nigel Olsson, his longtime band members, sharing the stage, it was high energy and album perfect.
It introduced a first third of the show that consisted of a stunning array of beloved hits, including a growling "Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)," a gospel-tinged "Levon" and a goosebump-inducing "Tiny Dancer." Some classic-rock artists blow through old hits just like that. We've all seen it. Sir Elton treated like them jewels, with extended, exquisite piano passages, especially on "Madman Across the Water."
Sure, he dropped to a lower register on "Tiny Dancer," and there were four backup singers on stage at times, but his voice was still warm and commanding. Introducing "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," he said, "If you wanna sing on the choruses, please help us out." Thankfully, the crowd didn't help too much.
He could have carried on like that till morning without running out of hits. But he had a surprise up his sleeve. Ten songs in, a matching grand piano appeared on stage and he welcomed... not Billy Joel, but Leon Russell, saying, "Leon was my idol in the '60s and '70s... to do an album with him 40 years later is a dream come true." With "If It Wasn't for Bad," they ventured into an eight-song set from last year's acclaimed collaboration, "The Union."
Mr. Russell always had that old-soul voice, so now, with him looking very much like Father Time and walking with a cane, he doesn't sound remarkably different. They rocked through "Hey Ahab" and "Monkey Suit" with pianos in synch and slowed it down to let their voices marinate on the Civil War ballad "Gone to Shiloh" and "The Best Part of the Day." While Leon Russell was there, it would have been cool to have heard "A Song for You" or "Tightrope," but I guess you gotta pay extra for that."
As confirmed by Twitter, some Elton fans who didn't know those songs were glad when Leon shuffled off and he returned to the hits. He got back into with it "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" and then dismissed the band for a jaw-dropping prelude to "Take Me to the Pilot" that displayed his classical training and morphed seamlessly into boogie-woogie.
More than two hours into his set, he made his loving dedication to Ms. Taylor. "Today I lost a friend and you lost a hero," he said, adding that she was "possibly the most beautiful woman who ever lived...she fought for the underdog... God bless Elizabeth. God knows how we're gonna replace her."
With that, he did a forceful version of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" that led into an emotional "Candle in the Wind," the ballad he wrote about Marilyn Monroe and performed so memorably at the funeral for Princess Diana in 1997.
From there, he shook the Consol walls with the old piano pounders "Bennie and the Jets," "The Bitch is Back" and "Crocodile Rock." As the three-hour point approached, and with no intermission, he returned for a tender version of his first hit, "Your Song."
This was Elton John's 12th concert in our midst, and while I hadn't seen even half of them, it's hard to imagine with the longer sets these days and extra gravitas he brings to the songs, this one wasn't one of the best.
Those concerns were put to rest when he arrived on stage shortly after 8 in one of his flamboyant jackets, a smile on his face and arms raised in the air. He is, after all, a consummate professional.
He may or may not have been thinking about his dear friend when he sat down to play his majestic suite "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding." With guitarist Davey Johnstone and drummer Nigel Olsson, his longtime band members, sharing the stage, it was high energy and album perfect.
It introduced a first third of the show that consisted of a stunning array of beloved hits, including a growling "Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)," a gospel-tinged "Levon" and a goosebump-inducing "Tiny Dancer." Some classic-rock artists blow through old hits just like that. We've all seen it. Sir Elton treated like them jewels, with extended, exquisite piano passages, especially on "Madman Across the Water."
Set list
• Funeral for a Friend (Love Lies Bleeding)
• Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)
• Levon
• Madman Across the Water
• Tiny Dancer
• Philadelphia Freedom
• Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
• I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
• Rocket Man
With Leon Russell:
• If It Wasn't for Bad
• Hey Ahab
• The Best Part of the Day
• Gone to Shiloh
• Monkey Suit
• When Love is Dying
• Never Too Old to Hold Somebody
• Dream Come True
Elton John solo again:
• Sad Songs (Say So Much)
• Take Me to the Pilot
• Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
• Candle in the Wind
• Burn Down the Mission
• Bennie and the Jets
• The Bitch is Back
• Crocodile Rock
Encores:
• Your Song
• Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)
• Levon
• Madman Across the Water
• Tiny Dancer
• Philadelphia Freedom
• Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
• I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
• Rocket Man
With Leon Russell:
• If It Wasn't for Bad
• Hey Ahab
• The Best Part of the Day
• Gone to Shiloh
• Monkey Suit
• When Love is Dying
• Never Too Old to Hold Somebody
• Dream Come True
Elton John solo again:
• Sad Songs (Say So Much)
• Take Me to the Pilot
• Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
• Candle in the Wind
• Burn Down the Mission
• Bennie and the Jets
• The Bitch is Back
• Crocodile Rock
Encores:
• Your Song
He could have carried on like that till morning without running out of hits. But he had a surprise up his sleeve. Ten songs in, a matching grand piano appeared on stage and he welcomed... not Billy Joel, but Leon Russell, saying, "Leon was my idol in the '60s and '70s... to do an album with him 40 years later is a dream come true." With "If It Wasn't for Bad," they ventured into an eight-song set from last year's acclaimed collaboration, "The Union."
Mr. Russell always had that old-soul voice, so now, with him looking very much like Father Time and walking with a cane, he doesn't sound remarkably different. They rocked through "Hey Ahab" and "Monkey Suit" with pianos in synch and slowed it down to let their voices marinate on the Civil War ballad "Gone to Shiloh" and "The Best Part of the Day." While Leon Russell was there, it would have been cool to have heard "A Song for You" or "Tightrope," but I guess you gotta pay extra for that."
As confirmed by Twitter, some Elton fans who didn't know those songs were glad when Leon shuffled off and he returned to the hits. He got back into with it "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" and then dismissed the band for a jaw-dropping prelude to "Take Me to the Pilot" that displayed his classical training and morphed seamlessly into boogie-woogie.
More than two hours into his set, he made his loving dedication to Ms. Taylor. "Today I lost a friend and you lost a hero," he said, adding that she was "possibly the most beautiful woman who ever lived...she fought for the underdog... God bless Elizabeth. God knows how we're gonna replace her."
With that, he did a forceful version of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" that led into an emotional "Candle in the Wind," the ballad he wrote about Marilyn Monroe and performed so memorably at the funeral for Princess Diana in 1997.
From there, he shook the Consol walls with the old piano pounders "Bennie and the Jets," "The Bitch is Back" and "Crocodile Rock." As the three-hour point approached, and with no intermission, he returned for a tender version of his first hit, "Your Song."
This was Elton John's 12th concert in our midst, and while I hadn't seen even half of them, it's hard to imagine with the longer sets these days and extra gravitas he brings to the songs, this one wasn't one of the best.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11083/1134454-388.stm#ixzz1HyyLZX4I
http://eltonjohnspics.blogspot.com/2011/03/photos-elton-john-pensilvania.html
http://eltonjohnspics.blogspot.com/2011/03/photos-elton-john-pensilvania.html
http://eltonjohnspics.blogspot.com/2011/03/pictures-photos-elton-john-and.html
http://eltonjohnspics.blogspot.com/2011/03/pictures-photos-elton-john-and.html
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