Well, the first thing you notice upon attending The Million Dollar Piano at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is that Elton John (who performed his 3,000th concert, Saturday night) hasn’t looked this good in years.  Fatherhood certainly appeals to him and he seems to have shed at least 50 pounds to get to his peak “fighting” weight.  He takes the stage to overwhelming applause, from a crowd that ranges from twenty-something twinks to Baby-Boom matrons, and everything (and everyone) in between – a testament to how his music (in concert with Bernie Taupin’s spectacularly poetic lyrics) has touched the lives of everyone with a radio in the past 40 years.

The next thing is the sound.  I don’t know what’s happened at The Colosseum, but the sound is so clarion-clear, that it’s the aural equivalent of the most hi-def Blue Ray experience.  Now, obviously, over four decades, Elton’s register has dropped from that of a tenor to a baritone, but what I happily noticed was the profound fullness of that voice.

The concert begins with a cadre of his greatest hits, including “The Bitch is Back” and “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to be A Long, Long Time)” as well as his much beloved ballads “Tiny Dancer” and “Your Song” (as well as one of my favorites, “Levon”).  Then, Elton gives us some of his lesser known (but no less fantastic) songs, such as “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” (memorializing the triumphant spirit of New York in the recent tenth anniversary of 9/11) and “Blue Eyes” (a tribute to his friend, the late Dame Elizabeth Taylor).  The dramatic “Indian Sunset” features a fantastic bit on timpani and drums   by legendary percussionist, Ray Cooper.  Then it’s back to the hits with “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” and “Philadelphia Freedom” as well as “Hey Ahab” (a fabulous song from his recent collaboration with Leon Russell), and “I’m Still Standing” before he takes a quick trip backstage for a costume-change.  Upon his return, he rounds-out the evening with crowd-pleasers “Crocodile Rock” and “Saturday Night’s Alright (for Fighting)” – ending with “Circle of Life” (from Disney’s The Lion King).

If anything (and pardon the armchair psychology) Elton John is an artist, whose over-the-top style served as a mask for a man who turned to excess in order to battle his social anxiety and fears.  Now, having found the ultimate high that comes from the institutions of marriage and fatherhood, he no longer feels the pressure of having to prove anything to anyone; and is now confidently emoting from a place of inner-peace and self-assuredness.  At long last, Reg Dwight’s butterflies are free.

Elton John – The Million Dollar Piano
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace
Through October 23rd
Click HERE for tickets and more info

Get into it!