Third time’s the charm as Elton John returns to Toronto with farewell trek

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Elton John
RATING: ***1/2 (out of four)
Wednesday night
Rogers Centre
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He’s still standing.

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And maybe that’s why Elton John has decided to go out on top.

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The 75-year-old British singer-pianist brought his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour to Rogers Centre on Wednesday night for the first of two back-to-back stadium shows after earlier and smaller Toronto double night stops at Scotiabank Arena in 2018 and 2019.

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And even he expressed pleasant surprise that he currently has a No. 1 hit in Canada, which he called his “second home” given he’s married to Torontonian David Furnish and their two sons have Canadian passports, with a dance remix of Cold Heart with Dua Lipa.

“I’m 75 years old and it feels good to have a No. 1 record in Canada,” said John.

With only a slightly altered set list from the first two visits – the rarity played was Have Mercy on the Criminal – the sequin-loving John, who bedazzled his glasses, jacket, pants and shoes, and his piano pretty much took centre stage as he played for two-and-a-half-hours backed by longtime musicians Davey Johnstone on guitar, Nigel Olsson on the drums, and the expressive and entertaining Ray Cooper on percussion.

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There were also newer recruits John Mahon on percussion, Kim Bullard on keyboards and Matt Bissonette on the bass.

In between songs, a beaming John often leapt off his piano bench and encouraged the crowd to scream with finger points while expressing a delighted “Yeah!”

Bennie and the Jets got the night off to a rousing start before it ended more poignantly with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

In between were such standouts as Border Song (who John dedicated to Aretha Franklin, who covered it), the souful Take Me to the Pilot, Someone Saved My Life Tonight and Levon, the glorious Funeral for a Friend and Love Lies Bleeding, the beautiful ballads Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word and Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me and The Bitch is Back, I’m Still Standing and Saturday’s Night’s Alright for Fighting (the latter three songs that had the most people up and dancing) while John proved to still have major piano skills whenever the band jammed out.

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The singer said that Wednesday night was the 247th show of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road world trek and his first ever show in T.O. was Oct. 5, 1972 at Maple Leaf Gardens.

“I’m am so lucky and blessed to have the career I’ve had,” summed up John. “I’m not going to say I won’t miss it.’

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SET LIST

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