The Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour, kicked off in the USA on September 8th, an amazing 4 year, 300 show tour across five continents ( cities in North America, Europe and the Middle East, Asia, South America and Australasia). When we heard Elton was coming to Montréal we got our floor tickets early and eagerly awaited the big day, Thursday, October 4th at the Bell Centre. Leaving from Phil's place that evening we decided for the first time to eat at the 1909 Taverne Moderne at the Centre. I was impressed with the meal, the Guiness and the 46x20 foot main screen! It was a short two minute walk through the bar to the rapidly filling arena and we had a chance to take a picture in front of the piano before the show started. Our seats were about 15 rows back on the stage floor so we had a great vantage point to see the show and precisely at 8PM the lights dimmed and the first notes of Bennie and the Jets filled the place...
The farewell by one of the greatest artists in history, born Reginald Dwight, could have been just another rehash of his 70s and 80s monster hits heard on every pop radio station in the world, but fortunately the presentation, the choice of songs and their rearrangements, the big screen visuals and the fantastic band made this a totally unforgettable experience for Marie and I and the other 18,000 fans jammed into the Bell Centre. Elton John's vocals were at their peak and with original band members Nigel Olsson on drums, Ray Cooper on percussion and Davey Johnstone on guitar it was like a 1973 double album cover come to life. When you have had a career like 71-year old Captain Fantastic has had though you can do no wrong. His songs are so popular they are embedded in our culture and to think we are hearing them live for the last time made it all the more memorable. Starting off with that foot stomping "Bennie and the Jets" the crowd was on its feet and really never sat down, except for a few minutes during the slower songs. The next piece was absolutely mesmerizing - "Love Lies Bleeding/Funeral For a Friend" actually sounded better than did it over four decades ago. "I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues", "Sad Songs Say So Much"", "Crocodile Rock", "The Bitch is Back", "Philadelphia Freedom", "Candle in the Wind" (the tribute to Marilyn Monroe version), "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", "Believe" and "Border Song" all followed, accompanied by wonderful video and still pictures behind the band on a huge screen. Elton also performed his first major hit "Your Song", the one I heard him sing on the radio in 1970 that made me buy the album I still have, as well as the non-hits "All the Girls Love Alice", "Take Me to the Pilot" and "Burn Down the Mission".
"Indian Sunset" from the 1971 album 'Madman Across the Water' was a magnificent ode to an unnamed American Indian warrior on the verge of defeat from the white man, the lyrics. as most of Eltons songs are, by his long-time songwriting partner Bernie Taupin : "Now there seems no reason why I should carry on, In this land that once was my land I can't find a home, Its lonely and its quiet and the horse soldiers are coming, And I think its time I strung my bow and ceased my senseless running, For soon I'll find the yellow moon along with my loved ones, Where the buffalo graze in clover fields without the sound of guns, And the red sun sinks at last into the hills of gold, And peace to this young warrior comes with a bullet hole."
"Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" (my favorite performance of the night as the band jammed it for at least ten minutes, except for perhaps "Someone Saved My Life Tonight") had everyone singing and swaying along. And in case you were wondering... he did do "Rocket Man" and ended suitably with 1973's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". A memorable experience for sure and worth the price of admission to see one of the most successful pop stars of all time (#3 behind only Elvis and thBeatleses). As the song says (Levon) Elton likes his money. He makes a lot they say...Sir John's charitable work should certainly benefit from this tour, particularly his support of AIDS awareness and research. We left the concert amazed that at 71 Elton John could sing for three straight hours and sound as good as someone half his age. And he still had 293 shows to go!...Wow. Next concert for us will be Fleetwood Mac in Tampa in February! gws
