(jamilton.ca photos by Rory McGibney)Last weekend, I saw Elton John in concert. Beforehand, I didn’t know much about him, but the moment he walked on stage in his snazzy pink and black suit, and received a standing ovation, I instantly appreciated him. He started off with ‘Funeral For a Friend,’ which went into ‘Love Lies Bleeding,’ off the album Yellow Brick Road. Even if you didn’t know many of his songs, like myself at the time, you couldn’t help but enjoy his voice, and the atmosphere itself.
The performance was great.
It looked like a completely sold out show, with an extremely enthusiastic audience. The lighting really added to the performance, it was not only on the stage, but also on the floor where some of the audience was seated. From where my seat was, I could see the people right in front of the stage, and it was pretty entertaining. Many of them had bright, crazy glasses on, and some were even glowing or blinking. There was lots of screaming and dancing going on.
Elton John’s voice was astounding. But at times, I felt that the instruments overpowered his voice, and it was difficult to hear him. There were five people in the band, and Elton himself playing the piano. I was surprised at how many different guitars were played during the concert; there must have been at least 7 or 8.
At one point, Elton jumped up onto his piano, which is pretty impressive for a man his age. Throughout his performance he was full of energy. The majority of the people there might be considered old wrinklies; but there were also a lot of younger people there, like myself, who were enjoying the show just as much. I never really thought I would have a good time going to a concert of a man in his 60s, but in this case, age wasn’t an important factor. This guy puts on a great show.
