Heading out to a trade show in Las Vegas, I decided to give myself an extra day and catch Elton John during his “The Million Dollar Piano” residency at The Coliseum in Caesar’s Palace. My expectations were rather low, since I’ve seen Elton many times in his prime, playing his ass off with unbridled energy that would make any fellow jam lovers wax poetically about the good old days (like the 20 minute version of “Burn Down the Mission” where Elton jumps off of Marshall stacks and throws his piano bench down the runway… check out the audio below)

  

Coming off a successful run at Caesar’s with the Red Piano show, Elton re-upped with Caesar’s for The Million Dollar Piano engagement. Leave it to Vegas to come up with uber-superlatives to what is a plain and simple Elton John concert. Not a bad thing.

Ever the showman, Elton did not disappoint. Backed by a large contingent, Elton was in fine voice. He played with passion, regaled with humor and a few welcome stories. It was great to see quite a few members from the original band. The great Davey Johnstone on guitar, Nigel Olsson on the drums and the fabulous Ray Cooper on percussion. All that was missing from Elton’s original band was Dee Murray on bass (who passed away in January 1992).

We all know Elton to be rather prissy; but age has been kind to Elton. He was genuinely introspective, appreciative of his fame and success, and it really seems he’s trying to be a nicer guy. I expected an oldies concert, and to some degree it was, but Elton and the band played really hard. The band performed with passion as the 2 hour plus set was filled with mostly the familiar, but with a few esoteric gems as well.

The acoustics at the Coliseum Hall at Caesar’s were as good as any venue I’ve ever visited. There was an elaborate light show and large video wall to augment the concert. I also have to say the LED panels affixed to his piano were really cool (Hence – The Million Dollar Piano).

Elton opened with “Bitch is Back,” and immediately went into “Benny and the Jets.” The crowd was jumping. They were enthusiastic, and the love between star and audience was quite evident.

“Rocket Man” was a nice change of tempo, and then Elton played a few songs from Madman Across the Water (1971), including the rarely heard “Indian Summer,” a poignant song about the plight of Native Americans.

Elton took time between songs to tell some stories; my favorite being his appearance at Madison Square Garden with John Lennon on Thanksgiving 1974. It was a magical night, since it was Lennon’s first stage appearance in years and, sadly, his last public performance until his untimely death in 1980. The story was particularly special to me since I was in attendance at that MSG show 40 years ago. Elton talked about the 10+ minutes sitting at the piano, not being able to play because the crowd was wildly cheering… all true. After, Elton played a lovely tribute to Lennon with the song “Empty Garden (Hey, Hey Johnnie).”

The rest of the set was filled with the familiar. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” was wonderful, as were “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” and “Crocodile Rock.” One of the highlights towards the end of the set was “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting,” where Elton brought about 25 audience members to dance and sing along on stage. The crowd was on its feet with the wonderful act of showmanship.

Yes it was a little overstaged, but Elton and company came to play, and leaving the hall, all I saw were lots of smiles and beaming faces. And before you say, “Vegas is a city of fakeness with over-promoted lounge acts” consider the circulating rumor that Phish may perform their Halloween run in Vegas. How many of you out there will throw away your distaste for Vegas to see the best band on the planet perform their magic? Count me in for that!!

Here’s the setlist from Elton’s “The Million Dollar Piano” performance:

    1. The Bitch Is Back
    2. Bennie and the Jets
    3. Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)
    4. Levon
    5. Tiny Dancer
    6. Your Song
    7. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
    8. Better Off Dead
    9. Indian Sunset
    10. Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)
    11. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
    12. I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues
    13. Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
    14. Philadelphia Freedom
    15. I’m Still Standing
    16. Crocodile Rock
    17. Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting
    18. Encore: Circle of Life

[Videos courtesy of YouTube]

-Richard “The Jamfather” Melamed