Read the first part of Ejfan1973's review on the previous night's show in Roanoke.
On to Chattanooga. There was only 1 setlist change from Roanoke. He dropped Amazes Me and replaced it with Better Off Dead. As a studio recording I prefer Amazes Me, but Better Off Dead is better off live.
Again, Elton was dressed in a simple black suit. This one had sequined spirals below the lower left pocket and the upper right shoulder in the back.
I had 8th row for Chattanooga, so I figured I might have a chance to get down to the stage. Before the show I picked up 2 red roses at a convenience store, just to have a token to give to Elton. When I arrived at the show I was a little disappointed to see that the seats on the floor were set up straight across with openings only on the far aisles. Security was also very tight for this show, but about an hour into it I got my nerve up and went down and asked the security if I could give Elton the roses after the current song. As soon as it ended I rushed down there (as well as several others) and I was able to give him the roses. I also dug in my purse for something for him to sign and the first thing as grabbed was my address book. I opened it to a randon page and he signed it, he then absent-mindedly, took it and put it on his piano with the rest of his offerings. I tried desperately to get his attention, but to no avail. I did get the attention of the stage hand who was clearing the stuff off the piano and he threw it back to me -- Thank God!! By the way, most of the names in my address book are fellow Elton fans.
If that wasn't enough, we had another real treat in store for us. After he sang Friends (which affected me the same as it did the night before). He mentioned his long partnership with BERNIE and then BROUGHT HIM OUT ONTO THE STAGE!! The crowd went NUTS!! Bernie came out -- didn't say anything -- but took his bows and absorbed the admiration. It was a truly great moment. Elton and Bernie hugged, and then he left. When I saw Elton in New York last fall, Bernie was in the audience 3 of the 4 nights, but he never came out on stage to let us all enjoy his presence. It was a real thrill for everyone in Chattanooga.
Another little change came during Bennie And The Jets. Instead of seguing into In The Mood right away, he played a bit of the other Glenn Miller classic Chattanooga Choo Choo. The crowd enjoyed the reference. It was truly an amazing couple of nights and I still have the show in Atlanta to look forward to.
A word about the merchandise: There is a beautiful new tourbook available for $15, but the rest of the stuff -- t-shirts, etc. are all holdovers from The Big Picture Tour.
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