Elton John Says Farewell in MetLife Stadium Concert At NYC-Area

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This weekend, Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour will bring him to the New York area for the last time.

The man who gave us “Your Song” as his first hit 52 years ago started his farewell tour way back in September 2018. On Saturday night, he brought his piano to MetLife Stadium for the first of his two final shows in the area.

The 75-year-old music legend started the show with the unmistakable chords of his 1973 hit “Bennie and the Jets,” and the crowd started rocking instead of fighting on this Saturday night.

Elton John Says Farewell in MetLife Stadium Concert
Elton John Says Farewell in MetLife Stadium Concert

To be exact, it happened 187 times in the tri-state area. John said this number in a moving farewell at his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Saturday, July 23.

“This is my 12th show in East Rutherford, and the 241st show on this tour,” John said. “I came to the Meadowlands Arena for the first time on August 4, 1989. Tonight is my 28th show in New Jersey. I’ll never forget the times I played in Wildwood and Asbury Park a long time ago.”

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In fact, John played two shows at the old Wildwood Convention Center on August 27, 1971, and two shows at Convention Hall in Asbury Park the next day.

“I’ve been through a lot, and you’ve been there, too. John said, “You made it possible.” “You went to the performances. You bought the CDs, cassettes, vinyl, and albums. Because I love playing live so much, you bought the tickets to the shows. It’s been a lot of fun.”

At the concert on Saturday, many fans wore big glasses, sequins, and boas that reminded them of John.

John said, “Some of you here tonight are dressed in the most beautiful clothes.” “I’m happy when you guys put on the crazy glasses and costumes. I feel so good about it.

John’s last show in the area will be at the stadium on July 24. The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour started in September 2018, but the COVID outbreak caused it to start later than planned.

On Saturday, John, who has always been a big showman, put on a two-and-a-half-hour show with beautiful ballads, honky-tonk hits, rock songs that got the crowd going crazy, and three costume changes. He wore black and white, glittery formal clothes when he came out. Even though he’s retired, the pianist still has a lot to give. His voice is full and deep, his playing is quick, and he was full of energy on this hot night.

John’s voice and piano work well together. What he plays on his Yamaha grand piano often goes against the melodies he sings, which works well with them. On “Bennie and the Jets,” the first song of the show, John’s riff on the keys starts off the song and gives it a free-flowing feel over the rocking 4/4 beat.

John’s singing skills make him sound much younger than he is. This was especially clear in the classics “Tiny Dancer” and “Rocket Man.” Davey Johnstone, who has played guitar with John for a long time, Nigel Olsson, who plays drums, and Ray Cooper, who plays percussion, were all part of the band.

A few things went wrong during the show. On this hot night, the R&B song “Have Mercy on the Criminal” never got going, and the gospel-influenced song “Burn Down the Mission” was slow. Considering how hot it was, I couldn’t believe how lively the crowd was.

Elton John Says Farewell in MetLife Stadium Concert

John ended the main set with the fast-paced songs “The Bitch is Back,” “I’m Still Standing,” “Crocodile Rock,” and “Saturday’s Night Alright for Fighting.” For the encore, he played “Your Song” and “Yellow Brick Road.”

He’s going back to the plow, as the song says, but his music will live on forever.

John said, “When I stop traveling, I’ll be 76 years old, and I’ll want to spend the rest of my life with my family.”Ticketmaster has tickets for the show at MetLife on Sunday, with prices starting at $55.

Stay tuned to our website for more updates, Nog Magazine.