The Metal Files

I’ve gone on and on about how one of my brothers was such a huge influence on me in the ways of hard rock and metal, but he also influenced me in some non-heavy stuff, the main one being Elton John.  As a kid I can remember sitting with him listening to the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album as much as we did KISS and Jethro Tull or Sabbath.  The music has stayed a part of my life to this day and still listen to Elton quite regularly, sticking mostly to his late 60s/70s stuff.

Elton has been to Austin at least one other time since I have lived here and I am not sure why I missed that show.  Bummer.  When I saw this show announced, I knew I had to go…and I knew I’d pay a hefty price for it.  The show was part of a benefit for the Andy Roddick Foundation and they were only selling show seats for the upper balcony.  I logged in on sale day and couldn’t get a ticket anywhere in the theater.  It sold out so fast and I’m sure that most went to ticket brokers/scalpers.  Not once have I not been able to get a ticket to a show there through normal ticketing.  Then again, this was a big show.  I ended up getting a 2nd row balcony ticket through StubHub for almost double face value and I didn’t care.  This was a show I just had to see.

I got to the venue a little after 9 when they opened the doors for us little people, the ones not in suits and gowns who were there to bid on auction items to benefit the Foundation.  They had the balcony curtained off during the auction until the last few minutes of it.  People were throwing around 1000s of dollars on items like it was nothing.  Good for them.

Andy comes on stage and talks for a minute, plays a 3 minute video about his charity then intros Elton.  They hug, he leaves the stage, Elton bows, sits behind the piano and says, “Hello again, Austin!” and goes right into Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.  It was just him and a piano and it was perfect.  He followed it up with Your Song, another favorite of mine.

I’ll admit to getting choked up when Goodbye Yellow Brick Road started.  Lots of emotions and had me missing my brother once again.

With only having less than 90s minutes to play, his set wasn’t that long but it was a decent cross section of his career.  I would have been fine without Circle of Life and would love to have heard Madman Across the Water, Seen That Movie Too, The One, but oh well.

Elton’s voice sounded great.  A little deeper but still very powerful.  He certainly can’t hit those falsettos nowadays, but hell, he’s 66.  His piano playing was immaculate.  He’s a master.  he played a new song called Home Again from the latest album and it sounded great.  It was cool to hear I’m Still Standing.  I’ve always liked that one a lot.

Before the show I was sitting with some friends at a bar and we were discussing the biggest bands we had ever seen.  Elton would be #2 behind the Stones for me.  Metallica probably #3.

I hate that I waited so long to see him live, but will not hesitate to go again.