What more can I say (oh but you know I will)…the Million Dollar Piano Show was PHENOMENAL. Did you expect anything less? C’mon…It’s Vegas…it’s EJ…the two were destined for each other.
I’d been waiting for this day (April 14, 2012) to arrive for 6 months. Had the tickets in my hot little hands since November. Since I missed the Red Piano show, I just had to go to the Million Dollar Piano show. And that I did, along with my husband Wayne, my sister Lisa and my brother-in-law Karl. After all, I did need an entourage to make the 2500-mile trek to Vegas with me!
Walking into the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, I realized that a typical rock concert it was not going to be. The plush seating was reminiscent of a Broadway show. And the stage! Oh my, the stage:
A far cry from resplendence on an orange case.
The concert began with Elton entering stage left, enrobed in opulence, accompanied by two assistants to help him out of his sartorial (albeit quite sparkly) confinement. And then The Bitch was Back.
[Side Note: There was no jumping off of or standing on the Million Dollar Piano. I’m guessing Yamaha wouldn’t let even Elton do that].
EJ was the most talkative I have EVER heard him in concert – almost chatty, in fact. He started by thanking everyone for buying a ticket. Now, is that not gracious or what? Told a few stories, kitsched a bit, and said not once but multiple times, “I’m 65, and I don’t give a shit” (receiving fervent applause each time). You’ve earned it, EJ, you’ve earned it.
Having been to one or two EJ concerts before (smile), there were still some surprises. For the most part, the show was more sedate than a regular concert. Partly because he played a lot more ballads than rockers, and partly because the audience stayed seated through most of it. [Side Note #2: How can you stay seated during The Bitch is Back, I ask you]?
Surprise #1: EJ played Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters, my very favorite song. He explained how he chose that for the 9/11 concert, wanting to be reverent and respectful at such a mournful time.
Surprise #2: Ray Cooper joined the band for at least two songs, most notably Better Off Dead and Indian Sunset. Very dramatic, very intense…and Ray was the madman of percussion as always. (Can you believe he is 71)?!!!
Surprise #3: When he played Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting, the front two rows got to go on stage with him. Way cool! (And to think I had a chance to get 4th row tickets, but only 2 of them. Although I twinged a bit when I saw how close they were, it was probably for the best – I would have been very disappointed not being able to go up on stage being that close).
It was over much too quickly…only two hours vs. his typical 3-hour concert. And [Surprise #4], he and the band took a Vegas-style bow at the end of the show, not something they normally do.
All in all, a wonderful show and a wonderful evening. I knew my sister would enjoy it – and was very pleased (and relieved) that my husband and brother-in-law did, too.
P.S. Special thanks to my brother Mark for the title of this blog post.
The Captain and the Kim 