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Sir Elton John. (Source: Bing Images)
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After two straight days of heavy rain, the weather
finally cooperated for the Formula 1 Circuses biggest show with Sir Elton John
dazzling the remaining throng with Hit after Hit...
SIR ELTON ROCKS COTA!
Following
Sir Elton waxing eloquently with thy Young Louise 'JAGUAR Hamilton during the Post-race
Podium Winners interview, naturally being smitten with his fellow Brit
Hamilton's victory. We began extracting ourselves from thy sodden grass vantage
point prior to beginning our Madcap adventure of getting to the concert!
The
winning race time reported was One Hour and 53-minutes, giving Sir Elton and us
nearly two hours before the Post-race concert began at 6PM, which surely would
be way too Mucho time, right? (Afterwards learning
that it was estimated 40,000+ spectators stayed for the concert!)
HOLY CROWD CONTROL BATMAN!
, NOPE! It was simply Chaos everywhere, as I've
never seen so many people staying for the Post-race concert ever before!
And
having waited a half hour, we managed to obtain a ride in one of the very
limited ADA Carts, albeit our courteous male driver told us he had NO idea
where the ADA entrance to the concert was? thus he dropped us off and we ended
up hopping aboard a second Cart.
My
only complaint with COTA the entire weekend, (Besides the Mud, Obviously!) was when sitting in front with the very
friendly female Cart Driver was hearing her radio announce we're NOT taking any more ADA requests! And tell
them to walk to a Pick-up spot! As one person replied back on the radio I've
got a double amputee here!
Finally
after driving 'N driving, stopping and starting for busses, a police motorcycle
escort, throngs 'O people, etc. Our driver said this is as far as I can take
Yuhs without getting Stuck in the Mud!
Then
we joined the throng of bodies being slowed appreciatively by the Mud-bog
chicane, where Claudio told me to take a really B-I-G' step, now another! As I
almost hooked myself on the adjoining fence post? As NO idea why COTA couldn't
have put down the plywood some track volunteer had pleaded for over the radio
whilst riding in said Cart...
Then
we walked 'N walked some more and started asking several volunteers at various
checkpoints if they knew where the ADA seating was? As we got three separate,
indifferent replies of ask the next "Checkpoint Charlie!" So we
finally gave up and walked up a sodden hillside and set up thy lawn chairs on
this grassy knoll.
And in
less than five minutes after sitting down Elton John's band went
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM! As a virtual sea 'O people came rushing down the hillside to
get a closer peak at Sir Elton, which reminded me of the time at the Gorge in
George (Washington) when the crowd went flying downhill over the cliff to get
up close 'N personal with Eddie Vetter and Pearl Jam; Aye Karumba!
As
Claudio told me I'd better put my (folding) White Cane back up in order to use
as a beacon to show the never ceasing crowd pushing their way forward as Elton
belted out The Bitch, The Bitch is Back! Whilst being the only two persons
seated in this sea of adoring concert goers.
VIDEO: The Bitch is Back
Blocked
from seeing the video screen in front of us by the wall 'O bodies, it was funny
how a stray note would escape every now and then when a hole opened up in the
wall 'O Humans in front of us momentarily as the crowd shifted, giving me a
slightly different pitch or tone blasting out from the excellent sound system.
Funnier yet was
when Claudio would sporadically fall upon me whilst dozing off during the
concert as his lawn chair was leaning towards Mwah; WUMP!
Elton
was an absolute master of thy keyboard and tickled thou ivory amazingly, giving
us multiple long AWESOME piano solos during various songs, including Benny and
The Jets! which I think was his second song?
VIDEO: Benny and The Jets
"Elton
jammed at length on the piano during different points in the song. (Levon)
Elton showed he could still bring the improvisational skill and passion that
has always made him a mad man on the piano. Unlike his contemporary, Billy
Joel, Elton plays extended riffs and jams on the piano."
Whilst I groaned
my displeasure as Sir Elton publicly thanked Uncle Bernaughty, nee Messer
Charles Bernard Ecclestone for his Hospitality; YUCK! Actually hearing one loud
vociferous BOO!
Then
Elton's third song played was the Hit Song All the Girls love Alice, just one
of the many off of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. As apparently his current concert
tour is known as All the Hits in deference to celebrating his smash double
album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road from some forty years ago.
As
Elton later mused when taking a break between songs. I first came to America 46yrs
ago and NEVER thought I'd be playing a Grand Prix! Thus, there's still even
things that surprise me in life...
Although
I didn't try keeping a mental tally of Elton's set-list, just Head-bobbing
along totally enjoying the AWESOME show! Nonetheless, I was really impressed by
how strong and beautiful his voice was when singing another crowd favourite
'bout Norma Jean; Err Marilyn Monroe.
VIDEO: Candle in the Wind
Know I've belabored
the point ceaselessly but. Really appreciated Elton just singing in his normal
vocal range and NOT trying to sing upper octave falsetto from 40yrs ago! Unlike
Geddy Lee who still thinks he can sing the High Notes...
Then
in the midst of his countless classic Hit songs, he played what was his lone
"New Song," albeit having been released in 2003. Noting it was from
an album he recorded with the legendary Leon Russell who he'd always wanted to collaborate
with. As the song was titled Hey Ahab!
The
song made me instantly smile - having just read that classic novel Moby Dick! As
Elton crooned: You've got to Hoist that Sail, and Ride that Whale, Hey Ahab!
VIDEO: Hey Ahab!
Sir
Elton and his band Mates, which included his Drummer Nigel Olson from Bloody
England, (Age: 66) who joined the band
in 1969! And Davey Johnstone of Scotland (Age: 64) on Guitar who's ROCKED with
Elton for 42yrs; CRIKEYS! Also featured excellent Bass, Keyboard and Percussion
accompaniment by Matt Bissonette, Kim
Bullard and John Mahon respectively.
As A-L-L were simply FANTASTIC!
Towards
the end, when the wall of bodies ahead of us thinned out, I marveled over the
fact that not only could I see the video screen, I could actually S-E-E Sir
Elton's face during the numerous close-ups!
Afterwards,
Claudio informed me that he was wearing a black suit with the words Rock 'N
Roll on its back along with a pair 'O small black glasses.
As I
still recall first being enamored by Elton's eyewear during the 1970's when one
picture on an album showed him sporting eyeglasses with miniature windshield
wipers on them!
I found
the Band being completely "Tight" throughout the entire concert,
playing for a solid two hours before one final encore song, which Me Thinks was
Crocodile Rock? In apparently what was their final North American concert for
the year. As reputedly Elton wishes to reduce his touring in order to spend
more time with his five year old sons...
Assorted Songs
The Bitch is Back, Bennie and The Jets, All the
Girls love Alice, Candle in the Wind, Your Song, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,
Rocketman, Daniel, (Song) Saturday Nite's Alright for Fighting, Hey Ahab, Levon,
Honkey Cat, Funeral for a Friend, Mona Lisas and
Mad Hatters, Burn Down the Mission, Tiny Dancer, Sad Songs Say So Much, Sorry
Seems to Be the Hardest Word and Crocodile Rock.
And although
my sentiments towards this year's Grand Prix was simply summed up by saying I
survived Austin; Yeehaw! For Mwah, Sir Elton John's Post-race concert was thee
highlight of the USGP! And was a total Coup by COTA!
Elton's
mix of Sad, Happy, Upbeat, Medium and Slow Songs not only were the perfect
tonic towards an interesting weekend at the racetrack, but an excellent
portrayal of Mother Nature's constant manipulation of the weather during said
event while COTA tried their best to cope with the adverse weather conditions
caused by Hurricane Patricia...
As I tried
choosing a few select videos portraying Sir Elton's current vocal sounds, for
which at age 69 sounded Damn good!
(Quote from Back of Crowd Concert Reviews -
Barclays Center Jan 2, 2015)