Austin, 8/7
Because you don't care about what I wore, or who I saw at the show, or
anything like that, I'll get to the nitty gritty. Elton come
to the Home of the Longhorns Friday night at Austin's Frank Erwin Center for a
sellout crowd of 15,000 or so. The result was incredible.
GENERAL THOUGHTS:
- This was the rocking-est concert I have ever been to in my entire
*life*...l was floored. The band can JAM.
- This was the first night of the next leg of the tour. Elton said that
we were a test audience of sorts, that he would be trying out a new set list,
and that we were in for a long ride. We were. He was on stage for about 3
hours, 15 minutes.
- This was also the first show for the new drummer. Mr. Bruno was
excellent. While I liked Charlie, it was easy to see why Elton went for the new
drummer. Very strong drum presence. Forceful.
- Large concentration of 70s songs, with a few rarities ("I'm Going To
Be A Teenage Idol," for example). Great set list. Only two songs from TBP. None
from MIE.
- Great light show/screen show. Same set as before, but this time,
lighting is geared to each song. Circle of Life, for example, had orange and
green lights on the stage, to reinforce the African effect. DLTSGDOM had yellow
change to orange change to red and then extinguish. GYBR had yellow, etc. Great
dramatic effect.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Roy Rogers -- I've never heard this live. Sounded exactly like the
album, but with a huskier voice. Wonderful. Sung as a tribute to "a childhood
hero of mine."
- Texan Love Song -- Again, never heard this live. Done as a tribute to
us, I think -- but not many people seemed to know it. I sang along with every
word and loved every note.
- Rocket Man -- After years of hearing the super-super-extended funky
Rocket Man mix, it was pleasant to hear a new treatment. The ending was very
mellow, and for a lack of a better word, spacey. Ethereal. Lots of sound
effects made this a song that everyone was transfixed by. I can't explain how
it sounded, but it was just surreal with the new ending. Kudos.
- All the rockers -- Great Balls of Fire, Grey Seal, Crocodile Rock
(which got everyone dancing), Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting), The
Bitch Is Back, IDWGOWYLT, et. al.
- "Recover Your Soul" -- Done solo with piano. Whole new feel to the
song. Loved it.
- Levon -- Elton turned it into a double-time rock song at the end.
YEAH!
- The strange guy in front of me who insisted on freak-dancing alone
during the whole show, bumping and grinding his way through even the slow
numbers. Ever watched someone try to get nasty during "Circle Of Life?"
Amusing.
- The guy about 5 people down to his right, with the pierced lip and
goatee, who was jamming to Elton. Not all youth is lost :-)
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
- John Mohon wore these glasses that made him look like Sarah
McLachlan.
- John Jorgenson wore these horn-rimmed things with yellow lenses that
prompted the people in the row behind me to yell "Wayne's World! Wayne's World!
Party ON, Garth!" every time they showed him on the screen.
- Great mix of people in the crowd. From 7 to 70.
- Sound got almost too loud at the end.
- Bring back "I'm Still Standing." Switch it out for Daniel.
- The man can play. He is still standing, better than he ever did.
All the best,
Brian in Houston
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