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Megan Henderson
HUMA 1301
Prof. Diener
13 September 2019

Bucket List Concert

Critical Response Essay on Cultural Arts – Performing Arts

Never having gone to Las Vegas or to an Elton John concert, when I heard about his
farewell tour, I consulted my bucket list and decided, “Why not?” That weekend adventure and
the concert of a lifetime made me realize that I would probably never see that caliber of
performer again, and memories of a lifetime were made that one weekend in Vegas.
It had been a hot day in Vegas with many experiences already under our belt.
Everywhere my husband and I went, people were talking about how great the Elton John
concert the previous night had been, which added to our excitement about seeing him later
that evening. After a day of gambling and seeing the sights, it was time to make our way to the
T-Mobile Arena to see Elton. Our seats were up pretty high, but we were in front of the stage,
so our vantage point was great. I could see a piano on stage, and a great digital backdrop
above the stage. At 8:05 p.m., the music began as band members took their places. Soon we
saw Elton and heard those first emphatic chords of “Benny and the Jets”. The crowd, including
us, went wild! There was no opening act, and for the next 2 hours and 45 minutes, virtually
nonstop, Elton put on the show of our lives.
There were two guitarists, another keyboardist, and two amazing percussionists with
one playing a drum set and the other playing every kind of percussion instrument imaginable.
This was an animated drummer and percussionist with his facial expressions and actions; he
really helped make the show even more enjoyable and at times even stole the show. Many of
these performers had been with Elton 20 or more years. There were times, however, where
some music from the band drowned out the clear hearing of Elton John, but for the most part,
the music was amazing. There were areas in the concert where an almost spontaneous jam
session took place, not something many newer performers are able to do. I hadn’t realized
before those moments just how much rock n’ roll and a mixture of blues were present in
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Elton’s songs. It was a pleasant surprise and gave me a new appreciation for the musical
performances and not just the lyrics.
Elton John has always been known for his flashy and flamboyant costumes. In the 70’s,
the costumes were definitely what people would call “over-the-top”, but he has toned that
down somewhat. His costume is a suit-type one with bright colors and lots of sequins, and he
had a costume change midway through the concert. This outfit had a sequined black cat on
the back, so we were expecting to hear “Honkey Cat” but it was never played. Even the
musicians changed guitars or instruments during the performance, with one guitar being
yellow with the words “Goodbye” on it which was cool because this was the farewell tour for
Elton John and the band.
The stage show for Elton John did not disappoint. Not only were the music and vocals
great (except for when it was a little hard to hear him for the other music), but he gave us our
money’s worth. He talked to the audience several times, sharing some key moments in his
life, including his battle with substance abuse and his hopes for the next phase in his life after
retirement with his family. After each song or set of songs, he would get up and bow to the
audience, pointed at each part of the crowd as he moved around the stage. Because he is a
piano man, he was at the piano for the concert, but halfway through the concert, the piano
began moving from one side of the stage to the other, also swiveling so all people got a
chance to be closer to Elton. What a showman! Singing along to the songs with 20,000 new
friends was also a unique experience, but when you have a performer that has been around for
50 years and spanned several generations of audiences, I guess that stage is set for such an
experience.
After that magical time at the T-Mobile Arena, we left the venue in a sea of people still
singing our favorite Elton John tunes and feeling the beat pulsating in our eardrums. Many of
us had tears in our eyes as we thought about how this would be the last opportunity to see him
live, but we knew his legacy would live on through the playlists on our phones, the CDs we still
have somewhere at home, and in our hearts. Thank you, Elton, for the night of a lifetime…a
bucket list item checked off with great emphasis.
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Word count: 792