Elton John played a strong, if self-congratulatory, set of music at Colorado Springs’ World Arena on Saturday. Photos by .
Late in Saturday nightap concert at the in Colorado Springs, a collision of old and new took place. John was playing “Candle in the Wind,” one of his epic ballads – and one that could be called a “lighter song.” But looking around the venue, there were only a few people holding up lighters. Most were waving their illuminated cell phone screens.
Somehow, holding up an LCD screen didn’t seem to pack the same message – especially with a song that uses a flame as a metaphor to describe Marilyn Monroe. But if the contrast was strange, the music was still there.
John, too, has changed over the years. His shows are much less flashy, less rooted in showmanship, and much more concentrated on the music. John is not using a backing band on this tour, playing solo on the piano and dipping into his vast catalog of hits to the edification of his fans.
Even the trademark, over-the-top glasses were gone, replaced by a fashionable pair of sunglasses that he wore throughout the night. John did sport a slightly gaudy jacket with tails with an embroidered rocket ship on the back. Some fans in the audience made up for it; several sported the huge sunglasses that “Reg” used to wear in the ’70s.
The stage itself was a sparse affair with just the piano, and it was set up so that fans behind the stage could see also. John went on promptly at eight, and launched into “Your Song,” the song which he said “got me started way back in 1970.”
John’s voice has dropped over the years, shifting towards the baritone range. During some of his classics on Saturday night, his vocals sounded somewhat strained as a result. On “Daniel,” for instance, he sounded a little rough as he tried to reach for notes he couldn’t hit anymore. On other songs, such as “Honky Cat,” the rougher edge to his voice added a gritty dimension to the piano-based ballads.
Of course, throughout the night, John’s prowess on the piano shone brightly, as his fingers danced all over the keys on the timeworn classics and a few obscure songs from his repertoire, including “60 Years On.”
Playing without a band does present a pitfall, as at times it seemed almost every song was at the same tempo. Over the course of more than two and a half hours, especially in a hockey arena, it seemed that his songs could stand to have some more instrumentation. John did make use of some pre-recorded string arrangements on certain songs including “Border Song.”
Fans were most excited by classics like “Tiny Dancer and “Rocket Man,” the latter of which featured an extended ending with John making use of lots of delay on his voice to great effect while he played a delicious solo that provided a strong counterpoint to his singing.
The whole evening had an almost congratulatory feel to it, with John standing up and taking a bow and walking around the stage after almost every song while fans leaped from their seats with raucous applause. When you’ve got the musicianship that John displayed, however, I guess you’re entitled to some of that.
Candace Horgan is a Denver freelance writer/photographer and regular contributor to Reverb. When not writing and shooting, she plays guitar and violin in Denver band the defCATS.
is a Boulder-based photographer and a regular contributor to Reverb.
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