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Where: British Columbia location
“I’ve had more success than you’ve had hot meals,” intones Sir Elton John of a recent collaboration with young British rock band Yard Act. The 75-year-old pop star proves her point every night on her Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Tour.
Friday night’s two-plus hour show at BC Place was the first of a two-night adventure, and quite possibly one of the last chances to see the veteran entertainer live. In 2018, he announced his intention to retire from touring to spend more time with his 11- and 9-year-old sons, whom he had by surrogacy with Canadian husband David Furnish. COVID-19 and a hip injury in 2021 interrupted a planned three-year farewell, but it’s back on track. He is due to bow out in Stockholm in July next year, plague and aging joints permitting.
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1. Successes. It’s amazing how powerful songs are played to death, even in a cavernous stadium. Tiny Dancer was a masterclass in classic rock songwriting. The only thing missing from a delightfully deconstructed Rocket Man was an appearance by Chris Hadfield – yes, we know the former astronaut is known for covering David Bowie’s Space Oddity, not Rocket Man. But stay. Bennie and the Jets, Crocodile Rock and Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting kept the audience on their feet and, if possible, dancing in the aisles. Candle in the Wind aired, but Love Lies Bleeding let the band loose.
2. Deep cuts. There were a few, like Have Mercy on the Criminal, from 1975’s Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player, with an animated video, and Burn Down the Mission, from 1970’s Tumbleweed Connection. Take Me to the Pilot, from 1970, was originally the A-side of a single with Your Song, but the latter eventually topped it on the charts and in the hearts of AM radio listeners.
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3. Sad songs say so much. John is nothing if not an accomplished ballad, and the setlist was steeped in melancholy, from 70s appeals Someone Saved My Life Tonight and Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me to slightly more upbeat teardrops of the era. MTV I Guess That’s Why They Call It’s blues and sad songs (Say So Much).
4. Always cook. Nigel Olson (drums), Dave Johnstone (bandleader and guitarist) and Ray Cooper (percussion) backed the star with a verve and charisma all their own. As the bejeweled pop star said of her six-piece band, “I know they’ll always cook.” One thing is missing: singers. Sir Elton can still hit most of the notes, but vocal backing wouldn’t have hurt.
5. Always standing. A video montage during Still Standing, his 1980s rewrite of I Will Survive, reminded us of John’s impact on pop culture, with clips ranging from The Simpsons to the Muppet Show, and showed he can take a joke. . In a testament to his continued relevance, even to the TikTok generation – audiences ranged from tykes to codgers and everything in between – John included Cold Heart, his 2021 duet with British dancepop sensation Dua Lipa, which appeared via video screen. Five decades into his career, John is an accomplished entertainer, capable of filling 40,000-seat stadiums and sending everyone home happy, nostalgic and a little melancholy.
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