by Nikki M. MascaliStaff Writer
WILKES-BARRE TWP. — The stage set up was simple: Keyboards, two percussion areas and a shiny black Yamaha piano at the forefront. That is until Elton John took the stage amid the sound of wind and chimes. Decked out in pink sunglasses and a pink shirt under a long black jacket with brightly colored swirls down the sleeve and a crowned image of himself on the back, John proceeded to showcase 25 songs from his large catalogue of hits at the Wachovia Arena Saturday night.
John kicked off the show with a bang with “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding.” At the end of the song, the pianist stepped up on his bench with one foot atop the piano and pumped his fist before jumping off with a flourish that the crowd of more than 9,000 ate up. Without pause, he and his band — percussionist John Mahon, bassist Bob Birch, keyboardist Guy Babylon, guitarist Davey Johnstone and his drummer since 1969, Nigel Olsson, — went right into a rollicking rendition of “The Bitch is Back.”
“Madman Across The Water” preceded a sweeping version of “Tiny Dancer” that the audience sang along with note for note. A short, tinkle-y piano solo gave way to a goose bump-inducing “Levon” and a powerful “Believe,” from 1995’s “Made in England,” John’s 25th studio album.
“Daniel,” an amazing “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and a heartfelt “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to be a Long, Long Time)” drove home the well-known fact that John is an unmatched superstar. He walked the length of the stage after “Rocket Man,” and clapped “for all of you” as he gestured to the audience. It would be easy to say that these three songs were the evening’s standouts, but there was much more to come, like a funky “Honky Cat,” which featured Johnstone on a twang-y banjo, the romantic “Sacrifice,” and a grand “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” John and his band were incredible on the latter, sounding much larger than the sextet seen on stage.
A smoky “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” preceded an aching “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word.” The aching continued when John sang “Candle in the Wind” alone on stage with only his piano, powerful voice and Marilyn Monroe’s spirit. His voice was stunning as he sang “Never knowing who to cling to when the rain set in” in the final chorus. Toward the end of the song, many members of the audience rushed the stage, where they stayed for the rest of the show.
“Benny and the Jets” picked the pace back up, as did “Sad Songs (Say So Much),” a well-received “Philadelphia Freedom” and a vibrant “I’m Still Standing.” “Crocodile Rock” gave way to the loudest sing-along of the evening, which prompted John to stand up and grin as he watched the audience sing the “La…La la la la la” refrain.
A raucous “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” closed the set proper amid deafening cheers. After a brief departure, the band returned and John worked his way across the stage, bowing, waving and signing autographs. The encore kicked off with The Who’s “Pinball Wizard” that included John throwing in a Pete Townshend-esque arm windmill for effect.
“I still love playing for you guys,” John said before ending his show beautifully with “Your Song.”
One might expect John to be a total diva on stage — quite frankly, he’s one of the few artists who could definitely get away with it — but the longtime performer delivers to his audience. Throughout the entire night, he kept looking out at it, pointing, nodding, and giving the impression that he was playing for just you. He was as appreciative of his fans as they were of him, and it was clear that he and his talented band enjoyed playing for them just as much as the audience enjoyed listening.
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