Pick out two of your favorite musicians. Got ‘em? Now imagine what it would be like to see them both perform live, together, in the same concert.
That’s exactly the way it was at the Billy Joel-Elton John “Face 2 Face” show in Anaheim last weekend. Unreal to think you could buy a ticket to see both of those guys – superstars, really – performing at the top of their game in the same concert.
The show begins with Billy and Elton taking the stage together and singing songs from both their catalogs, just the two of them playing pianos facing the other. Then they both play individual sets for about an hour and 15 minutes each, which give way to the grand ensemble of both bands, about a dozen musicians total, playing what was a 9-song encore. Sweet.
Both rockers seemed really into the show. I did not get the sense that this was just another night on the tour. Billy was so funny with his in-between-song stage chat he could be doing stand-up, it would seem. Elton often would rise from his piano bench and enthusiastically point at various areas of the 20,000-plus crowd, sporting a broad smile.
Clearly, everyone in both bands was enjoying themselves. I was impressed that long-time members of both ensembles were along on this tour, including Davey Johnstone and Nigel Olsson of Elton’s band, who’ve been with him since the early 70’s. Tommy Burns, Crystal Taliefero and Mark Rivera, each with 20+ years in Billy’s group, were also present and hitting on all cylinders.
I was in total awe of the stage. Instruments that normally required lengthy set-up time, such as drums and keyboards, were on hydraulic risers that appeared and disappeared in seconds. Thus, there was essentially no down time during the 3-and-a-half-hour show.
Nice to know that world class performers can set aside their egos while the spotlight shines elsewhere. To think that someone with the diva reputation that Elton John has can go cool his heels in his dressing room for an hour-plus, only to be summoned back to the stage 75 minutes later to perform again, is really quite amazing.
The highlight for me was hearing these recognizable voices take verses of each other’s classic tunes. When Elton croons “Piano Man” and Billy wails on “The Bitch Is Back,” you know you’re getting your money’s worth. Song selections were also amazing. Had I been asked to predict what would be performed, I would have never guessed that “Funeral For A Friend” or “Zanzibar” (featuring a mighty phat trumpet solo by Carl Fischer) would be included in a show like this with truncated sets. I (mistakenly) figured the it would be just a greatest hits show, and I woulda been OK with that, too.
I’m posting the setlist below. Take in this show if you possibly can. It’s damn well worth it, even in these tough economic times.
(Elton & Billy)
Your Song
Just the Way You Are
Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
My Life
(Elton)
Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
Burn Down the Mission
Madman Across the Water
Tiny Dancer
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Daniel
Rocket Man
Levon
I'm Still Standing
Crocodile Rock
(Billy)
Prelude/Angry Young Man
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
Allentown
Zanzibar
Don't Ask Me Why
She's Always a Woman
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
River of Dreams (included a snippet of "California Girls" for SoCal)
We Didn't Start the Fire
It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
Only the Good Die Young
(Encore: Elton & Billy)
I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues
Uptown Girl
The Bitch is Back
You May Be Right
Bennie & The Jets
Birthday (Beatles cover)
Back in the USSR (Beatles cover)
Candle in the Wind
Piano Man
One of the best shows ever. Can't wait to see bruce next week! :-)
Posted by: Sunny | 04/06/2009 at 16:09