Elton John goes out with a bang at last Pittsburgh show

PITTSBURGH − Sorry seems to be the hardest word, Elton John has told us for decades.

Though "farewell" is a hard word to express, too.

Hence, John (let's call him "Elton") needed five years to wrap up his farewell tour, which made its 251st stop Friday at PNC Park. It was the tour's third year in Pittsburgh, and would be his final Pennsylvania performance, the megawatt superstar told his Pittsburgh audience. And while the crowd got swept up in the abundant joy of hearing Elton and his excellent band whipping through the hits one last time, the finality sunk in when he gave a well-measured speech two-thirds through his encore.

"It's my 15th concert in Pittsburgh," John said. "My first concert was Oct. 9, 1973, at the Civic Arena. Tonight is my last concert in Pennsylvania and so I want to thank you for all the years you have supported me."

Seated at his center stage piano in his third and last costume of the evening, a magenta robe, John continued thanking fans for their half-century of loyalty, saying "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here. Because you bought the tickets to the shows. The records, the CDs, the 8-tracks, the cassettes, the singles, whatever. So everyone who dressed up tonight, thank you so much. (Feathery boas, bedazzled oversized glasses, and sequined Elton baseball jerseys were the go-to attire choices for many fans Friday.) You've made such a difference. And I'm going to spend time with my children and my husband and I'm going to have a great time. And I will take you with me in my heart and my soul and my head and I will never forget you."

Elton finished his speech with "Be good to each other, be kind, I wish you health, happiness, love and prosperity," letting an audience cheer wash over him before plunking those instantly recognizable piano notes igniting "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," the night's final selection.

It's sad to think he's done touring, though at least Elton is going out on top, as demonstrated in his 24-song Pittsburgh performance full of spry piano, lively singing, and virtually each song ending with the venerable showman standing from his bench, making eye contact with fans, and flashing one of his huge grins.

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Elton's setlist

Bennie and The Jets

Philadelphia Freedom

I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues

Border Song

Tiny Dancer

Have Mercy on The Criminal

Rocket Man

Take Me to The Pilot

Someone Saved My Life Tonight

Levon

Candle in The Wind

Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding

Burn Down The Mission

Sad Songs (Say So Much)

Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word

Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me

The Bitch is Back

I'm Still Standing

Crocodile Rock

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

Encore

Cold Heart

Your Song

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Highlights

Ask five different concertgoers to pick the No. 1 highlight, and you might get five different answers.

Leadoff song "Bennie and The Jets" set the tone for an evening showcasing Elton's crisp, vibrant and expressive piano plunks.

Elton didn't sing note-for-note recreations of his singles ― where's the fun in that? ― tweaking arrangements or vocal parts, like trilling his "R's" in the "rolling like thunder" part of "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues."

Elton dedicated "Border Song" to the late Aretha Franklin, noting how thrilled he and lyricist Bernie Taupin were as young Englishmen when the Queen of Soul recorded a cover version. Elton told the story of how Franklin, in her waning months, rallied to deliver a show-stopping performance at one of his AIDS charity benefits.

Elton got choked up dedicating "Tiny Dancer" to one of the 17 victims of the Parkland school shooting in Florida who had been a big fan of his.

Though very touching, that led to an awkward segue when he introduced the next song, 1973's "Have Mercy on The Criminal," which as the night's deepest cut, filled the role "Indian Sunset" held on John's 2019 show at PPG Paints Arena.

John's singing took a few concessions to his 75 years. His voice settled for a lower elevation on the high part of the "I'm gonna be high as a kite" line in "Rocket Man."

Though his power, enthusiasm and ability to convey a tune emotionally remain sterling. Expertly backing him were three bandmates who've been with him since the 1970s ― Nigel Olsson, drums; Davey Johnstone, lead guitar; and Ray Cooper, percussion ― plus fellow seasoned vets John Mahon, of Canton, Ohio, on percussion and backing vocals, Kim Bullard on keys, and bassist Matt Bissonette (whose brother Gregg drummed for Ringo Starr's All Starr Band last Saturday at PPG Paints Arena.) Bissonette's son Josh is a baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system (Altoona Curve in Double AA) he made sure Elton told everyone.

Cooper's timpani thumps added zest to "Someone Saved My Life Tonight;" Johnstone's slide guitar replicated the sound of interstellar motion in "Rocket Man," which ended with an extended jam and plenty of jaunty piano fills from Elton.

They all rocked mightily on "Take Me to The Pilot," one of several songs that got Elton so joyfully fired up, that he rose to his feet and lifted and slammed down the lid to his piano for a percussive exclamation point.

His piano hydraulically glided across the stage on the dependable "Candle in The Wind." He and the band took a backstage breather, letting realistic-sounding thunder effects begin the 10-minute-plus, prog-gothic "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding."

'It's time to dance," Elton said before "Sad Songs (Say So Much.)" And dance people did, cramming closer to the stage and filling the aisles on the floor as the band hit the homestretch ripping through audience pleasers like "The Bitch is Back" and "I'm Still Standing."

Oh, lawdy mama, it was Friday night, and Elton's band sounded really tight on "Crocodile Rock," with the crowd supplying the "Laa, la-la-la-la-laas."

Everyone got a little more action in on "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," with the band playing a rousing version that added to the memories fans will carry with them.

Thank you, Elton, for all the great music and live performances.

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Elton John delivers non-stop excitement in final Pittsburgh show