Elton John Concert Review - March 2, 2022 at Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York, New York

Okay, so I recently posted show reviews for the Foo Fighters and Genesis that were literally months overdue. So before Elton John makes headlines, I figured it would be a good time to post a review of the show my son and I went to of his. It was much more recent than the other two. In fact, it happened earlier this month! So at least now, this time, I'm in the ballpark.

This was one of a number of shows that was supposed to have taken place back in 2020, but which kept getting pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, I first got these tickets back in September of 2019, and so for now, this qualifies as the longest span of time for me between purchasing the tickets and actually seeing the event. That said, it likely will be surpassed by some of the other concerts that I obtained tickets for more or less at that time, and which also kept getting pushed back because of the pandemic.

Yes, this show was repeatedly pushed back, if memory serves correctly, a few months, than to the next year (2021), and finally to this date in early March of this year. Finally, it actually happened, and my son and I had a good time. Elton John was yet another legendary musician who I made a point of taking my son to see while the opportunity was there. After all, the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is Elton's final tour in a very storied musical career that spans over half a century.

Ironically, I cannot specifically remember when or how I got into Elton's music. I do remember getting Elton John's Greatest Hits on cassette tape from that old Alexander's store out on Route 17 in Paramus. People form northern New Jersey will remember that store for the famous huge painting that was on the side of the building, and was visible from afar. At some point, I became familiar with most of his music, and enjoyed it. My friend was a huge fan of Billy Joel and, in the summer of 1994, we got tickets to see Billy Joel and Elton John the first time that they ever toured together. We would sneak into the final minutes of another of their shows (we were able to do that in those days), and we would see Elton specifically again in 1998 at MSG. But I had not seen him since then, so it was time. 

I was worried about the commute to the Barclay Center in Brooklyn. Don’t get me wrong: I like going to Brooklyn, even though I have not visited it nearly often enough. But pretty much each time that I have, it was enjoyable. This was very much the same, and as always, I promised myself that there would be visits here in the not too distant future.  

One thing that I liked was there was a free photograph opportunity with an Elton background prominently displayed. I heard someone on line sarcastically asking how much they could expect it to cost for them to send it, and he estimated that it would be around $100. Admittedly, I had the same kind of skepticism, expecting this to be ridiculously priced. But it wound up being free. Or rather, it wound up being part of the ticket price, which means it was already paid for. So that was a pleasant little surprise. Here are the pictures that my son and I took while there: 

The concert itself started pretty much at the time it was supposed to. By five or so after the hour, Elton John was on stage and performing.  

The show lasted a good couple of hours. Mostly, of course, it was a slew of hits spanning his entire career, which goes over half a century! That was to be expected, of course. It made for an enjoyable evening.

MAR 2 2022 Elton John Setlist at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA  Tour: Farewell Yellow Brick Road World Tour Tour statistics Add setlist  

SETLIST    

Bennie and the Jets 

Philadelphia Freedom 

I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues 

Border Song 

Tiny Dancer 

Have Mercy on the Criminal  

Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) 

Take Me to the Pilot 

Someone Saved My Life Tonight 

Levon  

Candle in the Wind 

Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding

Burn Down the Mission 

Sad Songs (Say So Much) 

Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me 

The Bitch Is Back 

I'm Still Standing  

Crocodile Rock 

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting 

Encore: 

Cold Heart

Your Song P

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 

Taken from: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/elton-john/2022/barclays-center-brooklyn-ny-6389ae8f.html

⚽️ Les Bleus Crush South Africa, 5-0! ⚽️

 

🏆🇫🇷⚽  On est les Champions ! 🏆🇫🇷⚽ 

L'Équipe de France has already qualified for the 2022 World Cup officially some time ago, back in November, after crushing Kazakhstan, 8-0. That allowed them to play games this year without fear of a worse fate than Italy, who failed to qualify for the World Cup for a second straight time. No defending champion has ever failed to qualify for the World Cup the next time around, and France already assured that they would not have that dubious distinction by qualifying as early as late last year. 

On Tuesday, France was back in action, playing in their white uniforms at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, a suburb of the northern city of Lille. The French side managed to score another blowout win. And while Les Bleus did not quite score as many goals as they had against Kazakhstan back in November, they nevertheless scored a decisive and impressive 5-0 win against South Africa, one of the traditional powerhouse sides in Africa. 

It all started when France's biggest and youngest superstar, Kylian Mbappé, broke through in the 23rd minute and got one past Ronwen Williams, the South Africa goalkeeper. Williams usually plays well, and even had some impressive moments in yesterday's game. But it clearly was not one of his banner days against France. 

Mbappé would notch another goal later, in the 76th minute on a penalty, which came when France was already up 2-0. That was the goal that ended any suspense.  Olivier Giroud had scored the second goal for the defending World Cup champions in the 33rd minute.

France also scored some goals in the final minutes of the game. Wissam Ben Yedder got one in the 81st minute, assuring that the final score of this game would be lopsided.

Just a few minutes later, South Africa's Khuliso Mudau received a red card. It piled on the bad news for what was a terrible day for the South African side.

Finally, Mattéo Guendouzi, scored his first ever goal for L'Équipe de France in the 90+2 minute, providing the final margin.

What a day for the French side! They scored an impressive number of goals on offense, and kept a clean sheet on defense. If they play anywhere near as solidly as this later this year, in the World Cup tournament, they very well may have a real shot at a successful title defense. 

#FiersdetreBleus

March 30th - Anniversary of One of Most Famous Photo Shoots Ever

 

Today is the anniversary of arguably the most famous photograph in music history taken on this day in 1967. Of course, I am talking about none other than the cover of the iconic Sgt. Pepper's album, which would be a musical bombshell when released later that year. It remains one of the most influential rock albums - indeed, music albums - in history. 

The Beatles made an indelible mark on music history, although for most people, the 'Sgt. Pepper' album was when this band went from being very good, and one of the best of their time, to immortals, one of the greatest musical acts of all time. 

Other bands, perhaps especially the Beach Boys, had grown ever more experimental, and so the Beatles felt compelled to respond with a unique sound of their own. And respond they did!

'Sgt. Pepper's' was not like anything that had come before. It set a new bar for music and, indeed, a musical explosion was about to occur. The music of the late 1960's and early 1970's was more experimental than any other time period that had come before. When you think of the type of music that was the most popular in the 1950's and early 1960's, and then you think of some of the incredible musical acts of the late 1960's and early 1970's, the differences are almost staggering!

That is not to say that all of it was greatly influenced by the Beatles, or by the 'Sgt. Pepper' album. However, much of it was, and it is impossible to imagine what that music might have sounded like without the Beatles. Ringo Starr once said that there would have been some other band that would have become just like the Beatles, although that seems doubtful. After all, the level of musical talent, and even genius, on that band, is probably unlike any rock band before or since. And for the time that they were in the Beatles together, the band was able to put away their egos long enough to make some incredible music. They fed off of one another, brought out the best in each other individually, and collectively. That is why the music that came out of the band stands apart so strongly, and is so remembered, and really, revered, even after all of these years. It has been more than half a century since the Beatles first arrived on the scene, and half a century since 'Sgt. Pepper's,' and yet still their music is beloved and remembered and relevant.

Indeed, that is the greatest testament to the Beatles and their music, the fact that it is still remembered and listened to after all of these years! Few musical acts are remembered quite as fondly as the Beatles are, and that is why they continue to stand apart. And 'Sgt. Pepper' was perhaps the single album that stood out the most out of their albums, and they were indeed all memorable. 

I love their music and continue to listen to it, something that has been the case since the earliest childhood memories that I can recall. The Beatles broke up years before my birth, and John Lennon's assassination was one of my first memories of a major news story, because it happened when I was still very young. But somehow, it feels like they have remained relevant throughout, and that they, above all others, will continue to endure, and to leave their mark. They are beyond the fashion and identities of their times, and their music and legacy have allowed them to attain a certain immortal, even timeless status. 

Indeed, that is just about the highest honor that anyone can bestow on another, and it reveals quite a lot that it seems almost to not be enough to describe the Beatles, and the lasting impact that their music continues to have even to this day!

Here is the link to an article about the then 50th anniversary of perhaps the single most famous song from this incredible album, which has withstood the test of time:

The Beatles 'A Day In The Life' Is A Landmark In Sound Engineering 50 Years After It Was Recorded by Kevin Murnane, June 3, 2017:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinmurnane/2017/06/03/the-beatles-a-day-in-the-life-is-a-landmark-in-sound-engineering-50-years-after-it-was-recorded/#38d380792b51