ELTON JOHN SPARKLES IN FAREWELL TOUR
Rocketman pulls out all the glitter, all the hits for Saskatoon shows
All it took was a handful of chords for the crowd to leap to their feet for a standing ovation, welcoming Sir Elton John to the stage in Saskatoon.
And John, resplendent in a black tuxedo-like suit, studded with silver and purple gems, silver shoes and glittering pink glasses with rose-tinted lenses, hit the keys for Benny & The Jets to kick things off right on Tuesday night at Sasktel Centre.
More than 50 years since his debut album, after decades of performing, thousands upon thousands of concerts, a biographical fantasy feature film and an untold number of screaming fans — Elton John is still standing. The crowd — young and old, decked out with feather boas, glittering jackets, and thick-rimmed, tinted glasses in tribute to the man himself — was ready. Sasktel Centre was full. And like so many times before, the 72-year-old John delivered once again.
Within the first five songs,
John delivered fan favourites like Benny & The Jets, Tiny Dancer and I Guess That’s Why They
Call It the Blues. The audience ate up every moment. John couldn’t say anything without the whole audience screaming with delight.
After so many years performing around the globe, John’s current Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour has been promised to be his last. The tour — spanning Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand — kicked off back in September of 2018 and won’t reach its end until December of 2020 with huge finales in London. But Saskatoon was lucky enough to earn a pair of back-to-back tour dates.
John’s particular style of music and performance has regularly been associated with the glitz, glam, and great energy brought to the stage with his sets and costumes — and an infectious energy. It’s hard to imagine anyone carrying a tour with this kind of unrelenting enthusiasm, but John has proven throughout his career he isn’t just anyone.
There are a lot of younger performers who could learn a thing or two about stage presence from the man. There might be less leaping around the stage, but that doesn’t mean the performance lacked energy. Far from it: the consummate and ineffable performer, John radiated passion and power from his seat at the piano.
The old high range might not be there anymore, but a slightly deeper and raspier Elton John still crushed every song. There’s lots in this show, both musically and visually — befitting for a man of John’s style — and every moment was stellar.
If this is indeed a last farewell to Sir Elton John’s touring days, he ended things off on the best possible note.