This has no spoiler list per se; someone spoiled earlier. Some songs are mentioned; you decide what to do.
Elton was fantastic. He played some of the best piano solos ever, particularly before Take Me To The Pilot, but also during I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That (not my favorite song, but it rocked).
Here are a few of my observations/criticisms: The sound system, that is, the speakers themselves SUCKED. It sounded like my little Aiwa stereo on which one of the 2-way speakers has blown, so that all the bass does is thud and pound and there is no clarity or pitch at all. Something was definitely wrong with the speakers on the upper left hand side.
Those of you present noted that Elton's mike squawked several times during the concert, even prompting him to make a comment akin to "I guess we're gonna have mike problems all night."
There must have been either an unruly fan or a jerk-moe security guard right at the stage, coz Elton said "Why don't you bugger off, you in the white shirt, somebody get rid of him, he's starting to piss me off."
One tricky female fan got onto the stage and ran over to Elton while he was playing and grabbed on to him (it looked like from my vantage point) until an events guard nabbed her and pushed her back down.
Traffic must have really been a pain in the butt, because at 8:10 the Mullins Center was about 75 percent full, strange for a supposed sell-out crowd. After the lights went down and Elton and the band came out (8:20) I noticed seas of people still being seated. Finally at about 8:45 the house looked thoroughly full.
He apologized for his throat towards the end; he did sound somewhat hoarse when he spoke, but the singing voice was loud and clear and never faltered.
The concert was very matter-of-fact, I thought. Elton didn't go out of his way to be schmoozy or anything, at least on the mike. Everything was orderly and pretty tight. I got the feeling he was just "doing his job" that night. Which was enough for me. Although, he did sign an awful lot of programs between numbers, shook hands, and accepted a vast amount of flowers! He did constantly turn around and bow to a group directly behind his piano; I believe just before The Last Song, he thanked a couple of HIV-related groups/homes/associations (from Boston, I believe) and this is where they were sitting. It made all the more sense to me when, after the concert, there were at least 20 double-stretch limousines out back and I got the distinct feeling that Elton or his people rented them and drove these people out there and back specifically for the concert. The limos all left at the same time and were obviously in a convoy of sorts.
Some enterprising fans brought in a full-sized Union Jack and unfurled it during Made In England, to which Elton politely bowed when he finally noticed it. It was cool!!
I found that I became very teary-eyed and emotional several times during the concert, unexpectedly. Right when he walked in, just seeing him, it suddenly hit me what he had gone through recently (he mentioned this just before the Sand And Water piece), and I recalled Diana's funeral and how he has helped me (unbeknownst to him, of course) during the course of my life, and I just lost it for a minute. There's also something very moving about him starting with Simple Life, one of my very favorite songs and, even though it's a rock song, a real rock song!, the sentiment in it always catches me off guard. It's like he announces, "OK people, let's get back to the Simple Life; I'm gonna help get you all started on it tonight!" I know, it sounds dorky now that I read it.
SSMLT, DLTSGDOM and The Last Song I still find so incredibly moving that I get choked up just typing their titles. This year, he adds a little four-bar tag onto the end of TLS, to give it a better concert ending. The bass on the speakers SUCKED so bad (sorry for the technical terminology) that that wonderful bass line in the piano which pervades SSMLT was all mushy and unclear. God, I hated those f**king sound people that night!! If Elton could have gone out and heard what it sounded like, he would not have continued.
The MANY spotlight operators were great however!!
Before the concert, people were coming around asking "Are you against landmines?" Well, that's kind of a loaded question, isn't it? (Sorry for the pun.) I mean, what are you gonna say, no, I really enjoy them? They were petitioning the President to sign that landmine agreement that he didn't sign earlier. The little postcards we filled out had a picture of Diana on one side, so, what are you gonna do? I signed it even though I think Clinton had valid reasons for not signing it in the first place. I hate political agendas being forced on us at otherwise pleasurable distractions or attractions.
Definite highlights: Grey Seal and Tiny Dancer! Grey Seal kicked ass and TD was extremely moving -- he also sang Levon, but one can never forget his rendition on Rosie, can one?
As for new songs: ITRCB is HOT!!! (Elton introduced it as "gospel-ly".) LGALTAF is really a beautiful song; Elton doesn't particularly play it any differently than on the album. I do think several on the row have unfairly berated this song. SATWYLT is just a great song, period.
OK, the percussion guy, John Mahon, he and his little yellow Star Trek machine are really necessary only about 50 percent of the time. And they need to turn up Billy Trudel's vocals, you can hardly hear him. When Elton introduced the band, Davey Johnstone got the biggest round of applause and whoops, not surprisingly. I was fortunate enough to sit in front of a couple my age who had obviously grown up with Elton and knew all of the old songs. They also had a couple of pairs of binoculars which they regularly handed down to my partner and me. THANKS.
The program is very classy and features a slick full-page ad for East End Lights! The T-Shirts and other paraphernalia are just too expensive! $45 T-shirts, give me a break!
TV and VCRs have ruined theater/concert-going publics. There, I've said it. People chat and bullshit during the middle of songs like they were at a football game or something. During The Bitch Is Back a woman two rows behind was actually asleep. Can you imagine? The middle section at the back all sat quietly until the last half-hour when some of the brave ones ventured to actually applaud! At one point, when much of the house was screaming (after SNAFF), I beckoned to a couple in the middle section to stand up -- it was OK -- let it out, baby! This isn't church, people, it's a f**king rock concert!
I'm lucky I "sat" where I did -- right next to a railing (beneath it an exitway) so I stood through the whole concert and clapped and yelled and sang along and never got in anyone's way! I must say, though, it was the most multi-dimensional crowd you can possibly imagine seeing except, perhaps, at the opera or a symphony concert. Young people, we baby boomers, and all the way up to quite elderly couples, which was kind of cute. The woman who slept through TBIB and everyone in her row NEVER applauded, not even at the end for the encores. I don't get it. Stay home and watch videos!
Sorry for the length, y'all. Thank you, Elton and band.
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