I just wanted to add my 22 cents worth to what I thought of the Iowa City solo show - since I have gotten so many compliments on my concert write-ups before! (Also, today was declared a SNOW DAY at the school I am student teaching at, so I have the time now for a decent length report!) Since the songlist has been supplied already ( not much different, except for he played WrittenITStars, and he added Croc Rock and SorrySTBTHWord.)
First, we didn't get there till about 7:30, but just as we got there, they opened up a new parking lot, so we basically got front-door parking. Our seats were in row 36 out of about 40 rows in the very back section - we were 5 rows from the very back of the arena. Carver Hawkeye Arena was quite unique in the fact that it looks only one-story high from the outside. Once you go in, it is like a big pit that sinks down to the stage. It was rather small and really quite nice! Also, they left the lights on in the lobby, so there was a ring of illumination in the arena for the entire show. It was rather nice.
We went to our seats, and took a look at the stage - three giant film reels were there, which I recognized from The Big Picture tour. In the center of the stage was a huge grand piano - and basically nothing else! There were dozens of huge speakers hanging from the ceiling aimed right at us, and two giant movie screens. At the last minute before leaving my house, I grabbed two pairs of binoculars - best move I've made all year! :) From our viewpoint with binocs, I could watch Elton's hands on the keyboard - I could even see the reflection of his hands on the black of the piano over the keys! I could also see the bucket of ice where Elton kept all of his cans of Diet Coke!
As the show started, I looked around at the people sitting next to us - in front was a husband and wife in their 40-50's, next to us was a man who was constantly using some sort of nasal spray throughout the show, and behind us was a group of college girls whom I think were just greatest hits fans. They would try to sing along (at quite the volume, I might add), but just couldn't get the words right. But, they were having fun, and I was having fun! I figured they were greatest hits fans when they kept calling for him to play Saturday Night's Alright (I guess the unplugged version would be unique!), then asked each other if Elton had any children. I was about to explain to them something, but then decided not to...
As for seeing other rowers at the concert, I was able to pick out my buddy from the Twin Cities, "Elton Paul" - a dead-on lookalike in his bright red suit. Heck, I was able to pick him out in the tenth row WITHOUT using binoculars! I had my friends look at him with the 'nocs, and their jaws dropped! Great outfit, Paul! (BTW, we lost track of you after the show started - did you make your way up to the stage?) Elton only stopped for autographs twice - and he stopped for like 5 minutes to get to as many as possible! It went on so long, that I heard a quip from the girls behind us (who were EXTREMELY jealous that he was signing stuff in the first place) - "Geez, pretty soon he'll be way up HERE signing stuff!"
Elton's suit was a plain black, with a long patch of fluorescent green running down the back of each arm. For his encores, he took a minute to change into his black one-piece jumpsuit. (Plus, he MUST have gone to the bathroom, after drinking all that Diet Coke!) My friends and I started joking that he must have a cathader with a tube leading to one of his suit pockets - how else could he do a 3 hour show drinking that much pop without a pee break!?! :)
I had taken a quick look at the setlist before, but there were plenty of surprises. My favorites that I had been waiting for were Talking Old Soldiers and Tonight - both of which I love to play on the piano. The long intro to TakeMTTPilot was a song in itself! IGuessTWTCITBlues had some great piano solos and riffs! Hearing some of his songs live has inspired me to want to learn how to play them myself! I am now working on Better Off Dead, Mona Lisas, and Greatest Discovery. On Honky Cat, I was the only one in the whole arena who went "WOOOOOO!" at the right spot - get back, Honky Cat - Get Back, Honky Cat - Get back....WOOOOOO! I think he may have heard me, because I saw him crack a smile on the big viewing screens, then people caught on to what to do. It was so much like being at the recording of the album Here and There - so many of the same songs!
Also, with the movie screens, it was so tempting to just watch them and forget you were at a live performance - it was like watching a movie! Which is why I was so glad I took my binoculars - it gave it all an extra layer of realism!
I also thought that ending it with The Last Song was quite appropriate. the girls behind us were SCREAMING for Rocket Man, so they were a bit disappointed. My friend, who is a fan but not as knowledgeable of Elton's discography asked me, "So - which song is Elton playing for his last song?" So, I replied, "The Last Song." She then said "Yeah - the last song. What song do you think he is going to play?" I said "He is going to end his show with The Last Song." So she asked, "Yeah, but what is it going to be???" Sorry - I just had to laugh at her expense...
So, I got my program, I got my Elton Solo T-shirt (great pic of him in his Red suit jumping on the piano - the back has SOLO TOUR and the dates/cities), and my girlfriend got a retrospective T-shirt they had with the album cover for GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD with Elton crawling into the poster. They also had a jean jacket with Elton's profile and autograph embroidered into it, some sweatshirts with embroidered autographs, and another great T-shirt with Elton all over the front. The centerfold of the program is terrific! Elton laying sprawled out on a couch, wearing a black outfit, several pearl necklaces, and a huge pink feather boa! Classic! the whole program looks of very high quality, much of it printed in gold and black. With plenty of rare pictures - plus, a great pic of Bernie - although, I think it is a few years of age..... It looks like he has a full head of black hair. Not the most current look for old Taupin. :)
As for the show, the best part was whenever he hit a low bass notes - we could feel it in our bones! We had the speakers aimed right at us, and it sounded far better than I had presumed. These were actually the farthest I have ever been away from the stage in a concert - I am used to being in the first 20 rows, if not in the front row! It actually sounded quite wonderful!!!
I am so glad I was able to get tickets, and I am so glad I made the 5 hour drive to get there - We went the night before, and the roads were pure ice. We saw 2 dozen cars got in the ditch, along with 2 semi trucks. It took us a hour to go 10 miles. But, we made it! For those who will be attending one of his upcoming shows, have the time of your life! This was a completely new experience for me, and I would like to see other artists do it. Like the cover of the program says, when you've had a career for thirty years, you have to go back and be scared once in a while. Elton, your show was fabulous, and I can't wait until I see you again! If any of you were at this same show, I would LOVE to hear from you, and correspond about how you liked the show!
I remember when rock was young... Mike in Minnesota Visit my Tribute to the Billy Joel/Elton John "Face to Face" series concerts! www.isl.net/~dstutz/Welcome.html Billy Joel's Sax Player, Mark Rivera, likes my website!!!
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