Last Thursday, during our Vegas trip, Nathan and I saw Sir Elton John perform at Caesar's Palace.
To be honest, before the concert, I thought Elton's songs were good and fun, but I have never gone out of my way to listen to his music. I would not have ranked him among my Top 20 Favorite Musicians. But Nathan loves the man, and I thought the concert would at least be enjoyable.
It was the best concert I have ever seen. No, that is not a strong enough statement. It is the best concert I have ever or will ever see. About halfway into the first song, I discovered the truth: I am a huge Elton John fan. I want to steal all of Nathan's Elton cd's and hoard them in my car so I can listen to them all of the time.
Elton is nearly 65 years old. Before the concert, Nathan and I talked about the fact that he is no longer in his prime but since he is a legend, we wanted to see him in concert.
Folks, I am here to tell you the truth: Sir Elton John is still in his prime.
The man can sing, and he plays the piano as if the instrument was invented and built for him and him alone. He played for nearly two hours straight, and he seemed to love every minute. Maybe he's a diva, but he clearly loved performing and seemed genuinely grateful to be performing for so many enthusiastic fans.
I could go on. Okay, I will.
He performed many songs with his band, and those songs were fun. But, he also performed many songs alone, just Elton and his piano. He does not need the back-up band. He could have performed solo all night, and I would have listened with rapture to every note.
About midway through the concert, I had to pee. I am cursed with a bladder that is about the size of a peanut. But there was no way I was getting up while Elton was on stage. Not even when he announced that he was going to perform some lesser-known songs. If Elton had decided to play all night, I would have stayed glued to my seat, even if it meant peeing my pants.
I have been to dozens of concerts; and many times, I have been disappointed because the recorded music sounds better than the live performance. Not Elton. "Elton in Concert" is even better than "Elton on the Radio/CD/MP3/etc."
Also, too often, singers and bands play all their new music and neglect their old hits. Not Elton. He played every old hit I wanted to hear, from Rocket Man to Crocodile Rock to Your Song. He even ended the show with Circle of Life from The Lion King. (Okay, he didn't perform Candle in the Wind but he retired that song for Princess Diana. And I probably would have wept if he had performed it. Seeing as I got teary eyed during Circle of Life).
The concert was incredible. Sometimes I wanted to pinch myself. I was in the same room as Elton John! Granted, it was a very big room, but still, I was in the same room as Elton John. And not only were Elton and I in the same room together, but I sang the lyrics to Rocket Man while he accompanied me on the piano (sort of). How freaking ridiculously cool is that? And to think, all these years that I wasted, not realizing how awesome Elton John is.
Excuse me, I have to go steal Nathan's Elton John cd's now.
