Elton John concert review: In Chicago, pop star says goodbye with spirited Soldier Field set

All great factors ought to at some point come to an stop. Even the highway treks of Sir Elton John.

Now nearing the stop of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, the 75-yr-previous legend did a person extra lap around Chicago Friday night time with a stacked 23-song set checklist that made it truly tough to grasp this was goodbye. Particularly with 1 closing gesture as Elton performed his final note, walked around to a system on the stage and was symbolically beamed up to the cosmos, where the Rocket Person will are living on in spirit.

Incredibly, Elton John’s ultimate look in city was also the initially time he has headlined Soldier Industry. “I’ve often desired to engage in here,” he shared, swift to notice the live performance was his 51st in Chicago, the very first currently being Nov. 25, 1970, at the Auditorium Theater alongside Derek and the Dominoes. Friday evening also marked the 246th on the present-day worldwide trek, producing it just one of the industry’s longest goodbyes.

John and his phenomenal 6-piece band now get a crack right until they decide on up again Sept. 7, finally ending at Dodger Stadium in November, yet they were being no worn-out device. The ensemble performed approximately 2.5 hours with solos galore (with John continue to keeping his extraordinary dexterity and voice) and a successful curated selection of materials that touched on many years of brilliance from John and his longtime writing companion Bernie Taupin.

The present opened with “Bennie and the Jets” and closed with the fitting “Goodbye Yellow Brick Highway,” and the relaxation was stuffed in with a good amount of money of written content from his 1970s golden period that created you desire you could have been a fly on the wall at that notorious gig at L.A.’s Troubadour.

Selena Fragassi/For the Sunlight-Periods

Throughout this night’s established, “Have Mercy on the Criminal” stood out for its big rock crescendo highlighting the do the job of guitar player Davey Johnstone. The triple percussive line of Ray Cooper, John Mahon and Nigel Olsson (the OG drummer from 1969) also brought the thunder for “Funeral for a Friend/Like Lies Bleeding,” taking part in the opening variety of John’s magnum-opus album “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” with such power it felt like Soldier Discipline was a Dolby Encompass Audio experiment.

Prior to the emotive “Border Music,” John also spoke of Aretha Franklin, who after lined the observe and manufactured her last community look in 2017 at his once-a-year AIDS Foundation gala, dedicating the amount to her “longevity and genius.”

Later on, the strategic bookending of John’s newest No. 1 hit, the clubby “Cold Coronary heart,” proper prior to his quite initial, “Your Track,” added to the breadth of the finale, whilst the autobiographical showstopper “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” was a reminder of how the planet would have felt very unique if Elton John was not nevertheless standing.

Following Elton’s direct, the musicians (fleshed out by Kim Bullard on keys and Matt Bissonette on bass) suited up for the celebration, coming off like the true orchestra they were. Even when they broke formalities it was a true spectacle, with Elton standing up after each tune and slapping the protect of the piano in self-congratulation like a group that had just scored a successful purpose. John shared he experienced a genuine “soft spot” for this band out of the many configurations in excess of the several years — and observing them assistance the star journey out in a blaze of glory, it is clear why.

Even though it was virtually the identical setlist and with related nostalgic online video montages as the former quit at United Centre in February, this time felt distinct. There was a perception hanging in the air of this genuinely remaining the very last time — the ultimate likelihood to belt out the refrain to “Tiny Dancer” with a group of 60,000 men and women the ultimate opportunity to wear your finest feathered boa and invest in blinking Elton glasses and conjure some of the star’s wild abandon the remaining opportunity to hear his sweet accent thanking everyone for serving to a very little piano rocker from England turn into a celebrity.

Towards the stop of the evening, dressed in a relaxed robe, John saluted the entire forged and crew of the “Devil Wears Prada” musical in the crowd — he wrote the new music for the new manufacturing (which opens Sunday in Chicago) and had attended a preview before in the 7 days. Among the pack was his husband David Furnish and two boys who John claimed are the reason he’s calling it a working day on touring.

“I’m likely to be 76 many years aged up coming calendar year, and I want to shell out the rest of my life taking pleasure in them,” he shared. “But I won’t forget all of you … I’m getting you with me in my coronary heart and soul. Thank you for all the adore and loyalty. Goodbye.”