Watching Elton John perform at Madison Square Garden always feels historic; although he has performed there over 70 times, he often says it is his favorite scene on Earth.
Even more historic is the feeling of seeing him perform what he says will be his last show at this iconic venue. (Again, this is a man whose 300-stop farewell world tour began in 2018 and, due to COVID-19, may last considerably longer than the 74-year-old originally planned. year.)
“It’s definitely the most magical place to play in the world,” an emotional John told the New York crowd on an unusually warm Wednesday night. “I’ve spent so many wonderful nights here.”
He can tick at least one more. Two years and a pandemic late, John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour resumed in a sold-out Madison Square Garden – for the second night in a row – in front of energetic, vaccinated and mostly maskless spectators. The seemingly tireless entertainer was front and center for some 23 songs and two and a half hours, taking only two brief breaks to change outfits and swap out her dazzling hues.
He knows the songs people came for and he wasted no time listening to them. After kicking off the show with a rousing “Bennie and the Jets” followed by “Guess that’s why they call it the blues,” John spoke warmly about the return of live music. “How nice to be here after all this time,” he said. He had the audience of 20,000 in the palm of his hand for the entire evening, as they swooned to “Tiny Dancer” and “Candle in the Wind.” After a 24-month wait for this show, which was postponed from its original April 2020 date, no one wanted to waste a moment sitting down.
Indeed, the set was filled with the greatest hits of the 70s and 80s, with only “Cold Heart” – his recent duet with Dua Lipa from his album “Lockdown Sessions” which interpolates four of his previous songs – dating from this century. . (and, oddly enough, was sung by Lipa two nights earlier and a few miles away during his headlining performance at UBS Arena in Queens.)
Except for a few songs (such as “Daniel”), the track listing didn’t deviate much from Elton’s 2019 stint at the Legendary Arena (his 70th at MSG), not that the public of several generations cares. John mostly let his music do the talking, only taking a few moments between songs to address the crowd. When he did, he spoke passionately about his love for New York City, a neighborhood where he’s performed 150 shows, and Madison Square Garden, a venue where he’s now sold out 72 times.
“This is my last show here,” he noted, and at the right time, everyone instinctively and lovingly booed at the mere idea of John hanging up his sparkly suits and glittering glasses. “When I finish my last show, I will be 76 years old and I want to spend time with my family and my children. There are other people who will take my place and you will appreciate them.
After all, he joked, he’s not getting any younger. “When you get to 74 and you have a hip, it feels really good,” he said with a laugh. That may be true, but he’s nothing short of a completely commanding stage presence, even after recovering from COVID-19, which recently forced the fully vaccinated star to postpone two shows in Texas. . He was in top form on Wednesday night, brimming with energy as he ripped through several powerful minute-long piano solos. He sat parked in front of the keyboard most of the night, only occasionally getting up to soak up the heart-rending screams on the ground and through the rafters.
He closed the show with an animated series of favorites – “The Bitch Is Back”, “I’m Still Standing”, an animated “Crocodile Rock” and “Saturday’s Night’s Alright (for Fighting)” – culminating with golden confetti that rain from the ceiling.
Always the showman, John pretended to leave the stage to return to sing the number that made him an icon, “Your Song”. And of course, the finale was to be “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” which played against a backdrop of sweet, instantly recognizable photos and videos from his decades-long career.
And with that, Elton, now clad in a tracksuit, rode a rig that took the stage as he took his final salute in Madison Square Garden.
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