When Elton John performed his iconic 1975 concerts at Los Angeles, CA’s Dodger Stadium, he was on a historic hot streak. The two albums he released that year, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy and Rock of the Westies, had both debuted in the top spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart, something no artist had previously accomplished. The sequin Dodgers uniform he wore at the shows went on to be enshrined at the original Hard Rock Cafe. Even in the City of Angels, the land of stars, the 28-year-old Elton John shined brighter than the rest.
On Sunday, November 20th, 2022, Elton John, 75, wrapped up his final North American tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, with one last hurrah at Dodger Stadium. In addition to bringing the bedazzled Dodger uniform look out of retirement—with some functional sartorial adjustments—the climactic show highlighted both his continued star power and his gravitational pull on the world of popular music even half a century later.
The three-hour event, streamed live on Disney+ as Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, featured a number of high-profile special guests. Brandi Carlile, the 25-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter who is up for seven honors in 2023 including Record of the Year and Song of the Year, joined in with Elton not on their Lockdown Sessions duet, “Simple Things”, but on 1974 classic “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”, which had received a notable reading at Dodger back in ’75. John used the touching performance as an opportunity to pay tribute to the various band members he’s lost through the years.
He dedicated “Border Song” to the late Aretha Franklin, whose 1972 cover of the track became an even bigger hit than the original. He brought out Kiki Dee, who famously recorded “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with Elton back in 1976, to help him perform the duet live for the first time since 2016.
To open the encore, Elton John brought out contemporary pop princess Dua Lipa for “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)”, which just last year gave him his latest Top Ten hit in the U.S.—his first such smash since his re-recorded 1997 “Candle In The Wind” surged up the charts following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. A tear-jerking “Your Song” and a gracious “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” featuring introductions for his family and his longtime songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, finally brought Elton John’s last U.S. tour to a close.
View this post on Instagram
As Elton said in a Monday morning post on social media, “Last night, I played my 204th and final North American tour show ever. I can’t thank each and every person who was a part of it, at Dodger Stadium and watching at home, enough for the most incredible night. I love you all and you will forever be in my heart the music world’s brightest young star.”
While the final Elton John tour has come to a close, his story as an artist may still continue. On record, he’s still storming the charts and pumping new music into the public consciousness; his 2022 collaboration with Britney Spears, “Hold Me Closer”, bowed at #6 on the Billboard 100 singles chart in April.
On the stage, well, that choice will come down to Elton John. As David Furnish, Sir Elton’s husband and manager, told Billboard in a new interview, “It’s really important to make a distinction between Elton retiring from touring but Elton not playing his very last public performance for the very last time. Will Elton return as a live performer? I hope so! It’s in his blood.”
Below, check out the full setlist from the final night of the Elton John Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at Dodger Stadium and a selection of videos from the guest-filled performance. Watch the final Dodger Stadium show on-demand in its entirety via Disney+.
Elton John w/ Dua Lipa – “Cold Heart” [Pro-Shot] – 11/20/22
Elton John – “Saturday Night’s Alright (for Fighting)” [Pro-Shot] – 11/20/22
Elton John w/ Kiki Dee – “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” – 11/20/22
[Video: mano1971music]
Elton John w/ Brandi Carlile – “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” – 11/20/22
[Video: mano1971music]
Setlist: Elton John | Dodger Stadium | Los Angeles, CA | 11/20/22
Set: Good Morning to The Night (Prerecorded), 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, 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), Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me [1], The Bitch Is Back, I’m Still Standing, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart [2], Crocodile Rock, Saturday Night’s Alright (for Fighting)
Encore: Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) [3], Your Song, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
[1] with Brandi Carlile
[2] with Kiki Dee, first live performance since 2016, first live performance with Kiki Dee since 2006
[3] with Dua Lipa
View this post on Instagram
The post Elton John Bids Farewell To The Road At Guest-Filled Dodger Stadium Finale [Photos/Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
