By The Beachwood Music Department
“Fans needed a spreadsheet to keep track of the hit parade Elton John performed Saturday at a packed Allstate Arena,” Bob Gendron wrote for the Tribune over the weekend.
“The English icon drew from four decades and paid particular attention to his epic Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, opening the 160-minute concert by playing the first side of the 1973 album in celebration of its 40th anniversary.
“Per usual, he viewed the roles of crowd pleaser and flamboyant showman as one, and excelled at both.
“Yet John offered more than the cozy comfort of nostalgia. He subtly changed standards to suit his current vocal range and occasionally dug deep into his catalog, pulling out nuggets such as the rustic ‘Holiday Inn.’
“More impressively, Captain Fantastic dazzled on the piano, exhibiting techniques and skills often lost amidst the sweep of his melodies. If John has grown tired of singing favorites like ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me’ and ‘Levon,’ he didn’t act it, especially given the way he attacked lyrics, flashed wide grins and kept a close watch over his band.”
Indeed. As the following video compilation shows, Elton’s piano playing these days is positively inspired, and he remains emotionally invested in even his oldest, most well-played songs. Even more, he wants his audiences to feel the same, gauging reaction to opening notes to see if they recognize the tune, and offering sly and sometimes pleading (and sometimes proud) smiles to fans as if to signal that he is a fan too – as well as the artist who created (in large part with lyricist Bernie Taupin) these amazing, enjoyable, often odd and sometimes jaunty works.
We’ve reconstructed the set list from Elton’s Rosemont show through the wonders of YouTube, supplemented where needed (as noted) from other recent shows.
1. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding.
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2. Bennie and the Jets.
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3. Candle in the Wind (Detroit).
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4. Grey Seal (Philadelphia).
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5. Levon.
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6. Tiny Dancer.
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7. Holiday Inn (Philadelphia).
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8. Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters (St. Paul).
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9. Believe.
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10. Philadelphia Freedom.
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11. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
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12. Rocket Man.
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13. Hey Ahab (Lincoln).
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14. I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues (Philadelphia).
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15. The One (Boston).
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16. Oceans Away (Philadelphia).
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17. Someone Saved My Life Tonight (Lincoln).
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18. Sad Songs (Say So Much) (Philadelphia).
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19. All The Girls Love Alice (Detroit)
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20. Home Again (Erie)
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21. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.
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22. I’m Still Standing (Lincoln).
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23. The Bitch Is Back (Lincoln).
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24. Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘N’ Roll) (Philadelphia)
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25. Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting.
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Encore:
26. Your Song.
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27. Crocodile Rock.
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Comments welcome.
Posted on December 3, 2013