da www.cleveland.com
Elton John offsets predictability with professionalism during hit-stacked concert at Blossom Music Center
di John Soeder
You might expect Sir Elton John to stick with tried-and-true hits in concert.
And you would be right. For the most part.
Surprises
were hard to come by when this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer essentially
reiterated the bullet points on his résumé Thursday night in front of
14,000-plus fans at Blossom Music Center. What the show lacked in terms
of imagination, though, it made up for with sheer professionalism.
It was a chilly evening, with patches of fog hanging in the damp air.
“We’re going to warm you up,” John, 64, promised early on.
Resplendent
in a lavishly decorated long coat, the ivory-tickling superstar briefly
pumped up the crowd before settling in behind his piano and getting
down to business with “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.”
Halfway
through his 2˝-hour performance, John put the hit parade on hold long
enough for three well-received selections from his latest album, “The
Union,” a collaboration with mentor Leon Russell. The best of the bunch
was “Gone to Shiloh,” a Civil War-inspired ballad with a haunting melody
and drums that evoked distant cannon fire.
John also threw a couple of curve balls to the tune of “Holiday Inn” and “Hercules,” lesser-known numbers from his deep catalog.
Yet
the emphasis was squarely on popular blasts from the past. The vast
majority could be traced back to John’s 1970s heyday, including
“Philadelphia Freedom,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Someone Saved My
Life Tonight,” “Bennie and the Jets” and the show-closing “Your Song.”
For a seasoned pro like John, the trick is playing the same old songs instead of letting them play you.
He
was up to the challenge. Instead of merely going through the motions
for, say, “Rocket Man,” he sent the song into orbit with a bluesy
extended coda, kneading the piano keys like a masseuse.
By the
time he belted out “The Bitch Is Back” toward the end of the night, John
was clearly enjoying himself. He wagged a finger in the air. He stood
on his bench and struck a Napoleonic pose, with one foot atop his piano.
And he got back down in his usual manner -- with a dramatic handstand.
His
voice was strong from start to finish, especially during “Tiny Dancer,”
which John delivered with a smile and eyebrows arched above his tinted
glasses.
True, he generally avoided high notes, but percussionist
and backing singer John Mahon (a Canton native) capably picked up the
slack. John returned the favor with a shout-out in the middle of
“Crocodile Rock,” when he sang: “I remember when rock was young / Me and
Mahon had so much fun. . . .”
John’s polished band also included
longtime associates Nigel Olsson on drums and Davey Johnstone on
guitar, mandolin and banjo, as well as Rose Stone of Sly & the
Family Stone and daughter Lisa Stone on backing vocals.
Cellists
Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser of the fun duo 2Cellos sat in with John,
too, after winning over the audience with a short but sweet set of their
own. Their classical-crossover covers of material by the likes of
Michael Jackson and Nirvana rocked harder than Mantovani ever did.
|
da westfaironline.com
Crowd wowed by Elton John
di Kathy Kahn
The
“Rocket Man” took 17,000 fans on what was probably the wildest ride
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts has experienced in its six years of
existence.
Elton John’s three-hour show on Saturday evening Sept.
3 brought out fans of all ages — from teens who were hopping to
“Crocodile Rock” to older fans who sang along with the legendary
performer’s many number-one hits. John sang his full repertoire of his
platinum catalog of music. Despite four decades of singing, travelling
the world and pushing himself to the limit, the pilot was still in
control of his performance – and his audience was captivated.
John’s
performance kept the fans on their feet for most of the show. Although
security may have started out tight, it soon loosened up as fans – and
Bethel employees – gravitated to the stage, swaying in unison and
cheering as John’s fingers deftly played the piano without missing a
beat. His band, which included his original drummer, Nigel Olsson, and
such backup singers as Rose Stone of Sly and the Family Stone helped
maximize the energy of the man and his music.
Dressed in an
elegant full-length tuxedo with a fuchsia shirt to match the lettering
on his jacket — the singer’s wild costumes and outrageous hats and
sunglasses being a fashionista statement he’s apparently outgrown – John
sang with a rich baritone voice that didn’t falter.
His concert
was an amazing end of summer treat, one many hope is a promise of more
to come from Alan Gerry’s multimillion dollar concert venue next season.
|
