Elton John To Sing To Sold-Out Arena

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/hbo/2011/apr/08/elton-john-sing-sold-out-arena/
Posted by DFO

April 8, 2011 8:29 a.m.  •

The Inland Northwest has enjoyed a long and happy relationship with Elton John. At least, John should be happy with it, from a box-office standpoint. His show tonight at the Spokane Arena sold all 11,000 tickets in three days. And that includes the seats behind the stage. In fact, every time, Reg Dwight (yes, that’s his real name) has appeared in the region, the tickets have gone rocketing out of the box office. This will be the fourth time Sir Elton has taken the stage in the Inland Northwest/Jim Kershner, SR. More here. (AP file photo, of Elton John in concert in Germany)

Elton John wows the crowd

MIKE McCLEARY/Tribune MIKE McCLEARY/Tribune Elton John raises his arm from the piano keys and yells to the crowd during his opening song of Wednesday's concert at the Bismarck Civic Center. 4-6-2011

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_ed7b617c-615c-11e0-80bc-001cc4c002e0.html

 Sir Elton delivered.
 Nearly 9,000 people packed the Civic Center on Wednesday night to see Sir Elton John and his band perform for the first time in Bismarck. And they were not disappointed.

There were a few open seats here and there. But for the most part, the fans did not need them - most were on their feet throughout the show that ran nearly three hours.

Ross Horner, marketing director for the Civic Center, said the concert was the highest grossing concert ever at the venue, bringing in nearly $800,000.

"Feedback from the promoter and Elton's people was that Bismarck was a great host and we may see him back sooner rather than later," Horner said.

John opened the concert with his classic "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" from the 1973 double album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." Following that up with "Saturday Night is Alright for Fighting," John had the crowd - whose members ranged in age from 8 to 80 it seemed - enthralled.

For fans, many of whom came donning big glasses, feather boas and other "John-like" apparel, the hits kept coming. After several cuts from his latest album, "Union," a collaboration with Leon Russell, he closed with three show-stoppers, "Bennie and the Jets," "The Bitch is Back" and "Crocodile Rock."

John returned for an encore, "Your Song," but not before signing autographs for those up front.

Country music star Willie Nelson is up next at the Civic Center April 15. Only about 3,000 tickets were available for that show. About 600 tickets remain for the concert, which will be a small, intimate theater setting.

APRIL 19 AT LA CROSSE CENTER

Elton John concert tickets soar on secondary market

http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_dda48d9c-619c-11e0-a88e-001cc4c03286.html



Elton John takes a final bow after performing at his show "The Red Piano" in Las Vegas, Wednesday, April 22, 2009. The Rocket Man is saying farewell to the Las Vegas Strip after five years and 241 shows. Elton John's last show was slated for Wednesday at Caesars Palace. He's scheduled to embark May 2 on a tour of the United States, Canada and Europe. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The good news for Elton John fans is that tickets to his April 19 concert in La Crosse are available at many Internet sites. The bad news? Some tickets are on sale for more than $700, five times their face value.
After tickets sold out in a few hours March 14, it’s buyer beware, said Art Fahey, La Crosse Center director
“The secondary sites, some of them are more reputable than others, but I can’t vouch for anyone,” he said.
Some tickets were reserved for production holds, and they could be released and go on sale, Fahey said. But he doesn’t know when, “and there won’t be many.”
The best way to check for face-value tickets, he said, is to keep a watch on the ticketmaster.com site, which is the official online ticket outlet for the La Crosse Center.
La Crosse was caught off guard by the Elton John ticket frenzy, Fahey said. He is the biggest act ever booked here, and previous big acts, such as Metallica and Aerosmith, performed in La Crosse in the 1990s before the center partnered with ticketmaster.com.
“The speed of the Internet probably surprised everybody,” Fahey said. “The speed of what we sold (for Elton John) was entirely different.”
In the ’90s, people would have bought tickets at the box office or from ticket outlets in the area. Selling tickets then was much more drawn-out, and Fahey said it would have been impossible under that cumbersome process to sell out in a few hours as the Elton John concert did March 14.
“It’s a totally different world of what we’ve jumped on now,” Fahey said.

He’s ba-a-a-ack! Elton John in concert

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/04/08/1597171/hes-ba-a-a-ack-elton-john-in-concert.html

Michael Deeds - Idaho Statesman

Published: 04/08/11

Elton John

Larger-than-life entertainer Elton John is pretty much inescapable. Not only is he constantly in the news — hosting “SNL,” adopting a baby, chiding bands who don’t let their music be used on “Glee” — he also pops by for an Idaho visit every now and again.
Consequently, many concertgoers headed to Taco Bell Arena on April 9 know exactly what to expect: pomp, energy and terrific showmanship. John, 64, will bring a full backing group, just as he did when he played there in 2006.
Also, be aware: Although Leon Russell has been joining John at select concerts to perform material from 2010’s “The Union” album, that isn’t the case for Boise. The plan is just John and hits, hits, hits. And this time, when the crowd sings “Saturday! Saturday!” — it really will be Saturday.

Win tickets to Elton John in concert

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/comps2detail.asp?recnumber=160

The Rocketman is coming to New Zealand - be there!

 The Rocketman, Sir Elton John, is back in New Zealand for his 'Greatest Hits Tour' and playing live at the Forsyth Barr Stadium Dunedin – his first South Island gig in 20 years.

Mike Hosking is giving you and a friend the chance to be there – A-Reserve tickets and flights and accommodation if you need them.

Each morning, Mike will play a montage containing snippets of three Elton John songs. All you need to do is register your details here and list the three songs in that day's music montage.

All correct entries will be in the draw on Friday 15th April during the Mike Hosking Breakfast Show.

You can enter everyday but just once a day.

Offical Rules to win Elton John tickets

http://www.ktvq.com/news/offical-rules-to-win-elton-john-tickets/

Posted: Apr 8, 2011 8:44 AM
Updated: Apr 8, 2011 8:47 AM

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES
Text-to-Win Elton John Concert Tickets
EXPLANATION OF CONTEST RULES

1. The Text-to-Win Elton John concert tickets Contest is a contest sponsored by KTVQ Television ("Q2") and is subject to these Official Contest Rules.
2. No purchase is necessary. To enter the Contest, contestants (hereinafter the "Contestant or Contestants") can register by texting in "TIX" to 95730 from 5:02pm Thursday April 7, 2011 through 4:00pm Saturday April 9, 2011 OR by sending name, address, and phone number via email to kschwend@ktvq.com with TIX in the subject line. One entry per person will be accepted.
3. The grand prize winner will be selected from the registrants subject to these Official Contest Rules. One winner will be randomly selected from all registrants. The winner will be selected on Saturday April 9, 2011 and announced on Q2 5:30pm News Saturday April 9, 2011. The randomly selected winner will receive a pair of tickets to the Elton John concert to be held Sunday April 10, 2011 at the Rimrock Auto Arena at Metra Park, Billings, Montana. The winner will also be notified by phone after the drawing. The estimated value of the grand prize is $258. The winner will redeem their prize by picking up their concert tickets at the ‘WILL CALL' desk of the MetraPark arena anytime between 4:00pm Saturday, April 9, 2011 and the start of the concert at 8:00pm Sunday, April 10, 2011.
CONDITIONS
1. The winner will be notified by telephone by Q2. Winner may call Q2 at 406-252-5611 to claim the prize if they learn their name has been drawn as set out in paragraph 3 above. KTVQ nor concert promoter shall have any responsibility for failure to claim any prize based on mechanical or printing errors, or allegations of telephone difficulties.
4. As a condition to being eligible to enter the Contest, or to receive any prize, all Contestants are by their entries submitted, subject to the terms of these Official Contest Rules as well as the statements contained in the entry form itself. As a condition to being awarded the grand prize, the winners must execute a written release of Q2 and concert promoter from any and all liability arising out of participation in the Contest and receipt and use of the prizes. (See "Agreements & Releases" below.)
5. All federal, state and local taxes, if any, levied on the receipt of the prizes shall be the sole responsibility of the winners. The prizes are not transferable to third parties nor can they be resold, exchanged, or redeemable for cash.
6. All decisions of KTVQ are final.
7. Determination of the eligibility and acceptability of all entries, Contestants and winner(s) are in the sole discretion of KTVQ and are final.
8. Winners must show proof of identification and sign an affidavit of eligibility and release.
9. Contestants are subject to and will follow, adhere to and obey the instructions and rules contained in these Official Contest Rules, and such other rules and regulations as may be established from time to time by KTVQ. KTVQ reserves the right to change the rules and/or discontinue this contest at any time without prior notice.
10. No Contestant and no member of the Contestant's immediate family (spouse, ex-spouse, parents, siblings, children) or household members (whether related or not) shall be employees, officers, directors, representatives or agents of KTVQ or of any other contractor or sponsor associated with this contest.
11. All Contestants shall abide by, follow and adhere to the decency rules established by the FCC and by KTVQ and shall not have been convicted of a felony of any kind.
12. Contestants are not, nor shall he or she for any purposes be considered, an employee of KTVQ, nor have any such opportunities been offered or promised to the Contestant, and participation in the Contest shall not be construed in any manner to constitute any offer of any such opportunities. The Contestants are not eligible for any benefits of any kind from KTVQ of any nature whatsoever by virtue of his or her participation in the Contest.
13. Contestants, by registering, will receive a follow up text message inviting them to join the Q2DEALS database to receive future text alerts with DEALS from KTVQ. The option to join or not join is the sole discretion of the contestant and has no bearing on their chance to win the concert tickets. If the contestant chooses to sign up for future DEALS alerts, the option to remove their phone number from the alerts is available by texting STOP at the end of each alert.

Lady Gaga Confirmed as the Godmother of Elton John's Son

http://celebs.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474979190337

April 05, 2011 07:10 AM EDT

comments: 1

The son of Elton John now has an unlikely godmother - Lady Gaga. The little boy was born in December, and the identity of his godmother had been kept secret until just recently. When Elton John appeared on Saturday Night Live this weekend, he let the cat out of the bag.

According to Pop Eater, he said the following during the broadcast: "For those of you concerned that we are unusual parents, don't worry. It's not like we are the only two people involved in the child's life. His godmother is Lady Gaga. That is true. It's not a joke. Lady Gaga is his actual godmother, which is ironic, because I've always said that Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids. And Gaga loves Mars. She says Mars has good schools and great discos."

Little Zachary certainly has a mix of people around him. Some might say an odd mix even, but there is nothing wrong with that. What is most important in the life of a child is love, and it certainly looks like Zachary has that around him with Elton John, David Furnish, and the addition of Lady Gaga in his life. Would you want Lady Gaga to be the godmother of your child though?

Lady Gaga is Elton John’s son Godmother

Baby God-Monster

http://923now.radio.com/2011/04/06/lady-gaga-is-eltons-baby-god-monster/

Kimberly Rae Miller

Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images

If you were watching Saturday Night Live last week and thought that Elton John was joking in his opening monologue when he let slip that Lady Gaga was his son’s godmother, you were wrong. And if you missed it entirely,
n his opening monologue (which you can watch above) John said, “For those of you concerned that we are unusual parents, don’t worry, it’s not like we are the only two people involved in the child’s life. His godmother is Lady Gaga. That is true. It’s not a joke. Lady Gaga is his actual godmother, which is ironic, because I’ve always said that Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids. And Gaga loves Mars. She says Mars has good schools and great discos.”

Photos: Lady Gaga & Elton John Perform @ the 53rd Annual GRAMMYSview gallery

It left a few of us scratching our heads, but Elton’s long time partner David Furnish confirmed Zachary’s god-mama’s identity, “She’s all about inclusiveness and tolerance. She believes that you can be whoever you want to be and that we don’t have to live in a world of conformity and that we can all [benefit] from individuality. That’s the best message in the world. The freedom to be who you are, do what you want and love who you want to love.”
Can you imagine holidays with Lady Gaga and Elton John? That is going to be one fashion forward toddler!

Read more: Lady Gaga is Elton John’s Baby God-Monster http://923now.radio.com/2011/04/06/lady-gaga-is-eltons-baby-god-monster/#ixzz1IjyZRg2q

Read more: Lady Gaga is Elton John’s Baby God-Monster http://923now.radio.com/2011/04/06/lady-gaga-is-eltons-baby-god-monster/#ixzz1Ijxvbdn2

Fuse TV Review: Elton John Takes Over the Tube

http://artsfuse.org/?p=28177

Featured, TV (Gasp!) Add comments

Apr 062011

Whether Elton John aimed to appeal to a new demographic or simply wanted to cross “host SNL” off his bucket list, it was clear from the beginning of the show that he would be a charming, committed host.

by Molly Jay

Elton John on SNL -- He was a charming, committed host.

While last week was studded with a few attention grabbing events on television – Grey’s Anatomy’s musical episode, Stephen Colbert appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to sing the viral hit “Friday” – for the most part, programming seemed to be dominated by one individual, and for once it wasn’t Charlie Sheen. Instead, Elton John, who kicks off a worldwide tour on April 6, lit up the small screen, taking over Saturday Night Live as both the host and musical guest, and appearing on late night talk shows. His presence was also felt on American Idol, as the reality TV juggernaut featured an all-Elton night.
It’s hard to believe that John, who has sold over 250 million records, has never served as SNL’s host and musical guest before. In fact, he only appeared on the show once before, as the musical guest in 1982, with host Johnny Cash. Now, however, John has joined the ranks of such performers as Ray Charles, Garth Brooks and Britney Spears, as artists who have pulled a double duty on the late night staple.
Whether John aimed to appeal to a new demographic or simply wanted to cross “host SNL” off his bucket list, it was clear from the beginning of the show that he would be a charming, committed host. He delivered his monologue, which commonly drew laughs from his past drug use and pampered lifestyle, with the good-natured air of “laugh at me now, but at the end of the day, I’m still Elton John.” As he finished his opening, he promised a fun night and a great show. Unfortunately, what followed was an uneven program that may have had elements of fun, but certainly wasn’t great.
However, the show’s flaws seemed to lie within lazy, tired writing – not John himself. In the first half of the show, John was often overshadowed by surprise guests Carmelo Anthony and Tom Hanks (Hanks appeared in the digital short and two sketches – one of which didn’t even include John). Half of the sketches featured John playing himself, which enabled him to deadpan a few catty comments that felt both natural and organic, but kept his appearances fairly one-note. The other half of the show had John playing flamboyant characters, such as a gay movie critic who spent half the time kissing his partner (newcomer Taran Killam) and a unicorn-riding, turquoise outfit-wearing cowboy. For a host as game as John appeared, it was disappointing that the writers felt the need to rely on stale, obvious material.

Elton John as a cowboy on SNL

But perhaps John’s strongest showing this week was with a television program on which he didn’t appear. On American Idol, each contestant had to perform an Elton John original, and the talented singers proved that John’s music is still relevant, with some kids turning his pop songs into country tunes, reggae jams and hard rock anthems.
Perhaps most importantly, by allowing his music to be featured on the show, John has exposed a new generation to his music, and undoubtedly picked up a few more fans. Though John did not perform on the Los Angeles-based Idol, most likely because he was busy rehearsing in New York for SNL, he told Jimmy Fallon last week that he was happy with the talent competition’s theme, stating it is always a compliment when artists cover his work.
By taking over the tube this week, John proved that he is charming and witty, and most of all, still relevant, which is impressive given his first appeared on The Andy Williams Show in 1971. It’s hard not to look forward to the next time John makes his way around the networks, though hopefully he’ll have better material with which he can work.

---

John’s latest album, The Union, was released in October of last year. While John’s tour will only be stopping in 12 U.S. cities, he will be swinging through the Northeast, playing in Rochester, New York on April 23.

Yes! Lady GaGa Really Is The Godmother To Elton John's Son!

http://perezhilton.com/2011-04-05-lady-gaga-really-is-the-godmother-to-elton-john-son

Filed under: Baby Blabber > Elton John > Lady GaGa
He told you so on Saturday. How come none of you believed him???
On SNL this past weekend, Elton John revealed in his monologue that he and his partner David Furnish decided to ask Lady GaGa to be the godmother to their son, Zac. The crowd had a laugh, but what they really should've been doing was applauding their hands off - because it is 100% true!
In fact, David pretty much confirmed not too long ago in an interview that she would be. Does no one remember this? Ugh! Alright, we'll refresh your memory! He told sources:

"She's all about inclusiveness and tolerance. She believes that you can be whoever you want to be and that we don't have to live in a world of conformity and that we can all [benefit] from individuality. That's the best message in the world. The freedom to be who you are, do what you want and love who you want to love."

Now, why wouldn't you want a person like that as your kid's godmother! C'mon!
Our heartiest congrats to GaGaloo for the esteemed honor and to Elton and David for making a fine choice. Zac is a very lucky little boy! So much love and light in his life!