Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium

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little k Elton John's final concert in America was spectacular and enjoyable. Featured many popular and wonderful songs. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/08/25 Full Review Paul A As "Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium" (2022 release; 174 min.) opens, it is November 20, 2022 and Elton John is about to start what is billed as his very last show, ever, in the US and North America. Then the familiar opening piano riff of "Benny and the Jets" comes on, and Sir Elton and his veteran backing band get things underway... Couple of comments: there are some good, even very good things about this farewell show, and some not do good. Let's start with the good: first and foremost, Sir Elton's piano playing remains as nimble as ever. His backing band, including longtime stalwarts Davey Johnson (guitar), Nigel Olsson (drums) and Ray Cooper (percussion), is tight and top-notch. The not-quite-as-good includes Sir Elton's shrinking vocal range (he can't hit those high notes anymore), and the oh-so-predictable set-in-stone setlist, which has barely changed during the entire farewell tour. That said, in particular in the first half of the show, there are a few nuggets: the non-hit/deep album cut "Have Mercy On the Criminal" (from "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player); the long instrumental outro at then end of "Rocket Man"; and "Someone Save My Life Tonight" (which Sir Elton introduces as "from my favorite album comes this, one of our best and on of my favorite songs ever"). The second half of the concert features a number of guest appearances, including Kiki Dee on "Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Considering that Sir Elton will be 76 by the time the seemingly endless farewell tour (which started in 2018) supposedly wraps up this coming summer, the guy looks and performs at an amazing level still. (I've seen Sir Elton in concert a number of times over the years. I agonized whether to see the farewell tour when it came here in Cincinnati, where I live, in early 2019. In the end, I couldn't justify the insanely expensive tickets available in the aftermarket, and frankly I was disappointed with the super predictable, never-changing setlist.) Please note that the listed running time of 2 hrs. 54 min. Is a bit misleading, in that the initial 20 min. Is a montage of some memorable moments from Sir Elton's life and career. In essence it serves as the warming-up opening act. You are given the choice to "skip forward" if you so desire, and dive straight into the concert. "Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium" was simulcast live on Disney+ and is now available on demand there. I just now caught it. The show is solid, but contains zero surprises, hence my rating of 2/5 stars. If it turns out that this was indeed Sir Elton's last show ever in the US, my rating will go up to 3/5 stars for historical purposes. Am I truly 100% convinced that this was indeed his last US show ever? I am not. If a major music festival like Coachella or Lollapalooza reached out to Sir Elton in say 5 years for a one-off, I imagine it will be hard for Sir Elton to resist that. Meanwhile, if you are a fan, be it a casual or a die-hard, of Elton John, I'd readily recommend you check this out, and draw your own conclusion. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review gerry w Watching Elton perform live for decades has always been a joyous experience, and it's now astonishing to realize at 75 years of age his athletic, funky, thrilling piano skills and singular vocal delivery are both as strong and dance-inspiring as ever. I had a blast sharing a close-up view of his last U.S. concert with this expert livestream concert coverage, and am so happy it was preserved for generations to revisit in the future. It is definitely true that Elton John and Bernie Taupin have created timeless pop classics and countless memories for those of us who have been fans since the 70's, and that the music will continue to do the same for new fans not even born yet. The songs clearly connect with people of all ages and generations, as was vividly shown by the age range of fans grinning broadly and dancing with abandon in this massive 50,000+ person Dodger Stadium audience. Thank you to Elton, Bernie, and everyone who helped create this lovely celebration. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium

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