Live review: Billy Joel and Elton John at the Rose Garden (original) (raw)

And the angels did shine a light down upon the pop stars.

First Came the pianos, up from underneath. Then came Billy Joel and Elton John. They followed their pianos, took their seats and opened Wednesday's Rose Garden show with

, a song John recorded in 1970. It was pretty.

"One day, you two will

appreciate

this."

So we were told by a woman sitting behind me and a friend last night. This was probably an hour into the set, after Joel had left the stage to John and his band. I suppose she figured we were laughing too much.

Her point, blunted somewhat by over-sized Elton glasses and a red feather boa shedding at an unhealthy rate, was flawed in two ways.

1. It assumed we weren't appreciating the show.

2. More importantly, it assumed that at some point in the future, the perceptions and reputations of Billy Joel and Sir Elton John would change, as if they were currently misunderstood artists, but one day ... one day the world will see the genius.

We know who Joel and John are, what they've done, where they sit on history's CD rack. That's why the Rose Garden was packed pretty much to the rafters to see the two play face-to-face -- except when they weren't face-to-face, which was a good portion of the show.

Sir Elton is a singular pop star with a pile of anthems built for big rooms like the Rose Garden, exemplified by the three songs he played from 1971's

Madman Across the Water

.

Thirty years later, 2001, there he was at the Grammy Awards on stage alongside Eminem. Two weeks ago, at the Grammy Awards again, there was alongside Lady GaGa. He's the pop star stamp of approval.

His glass of water on Wednesday was kept cold by the ice bucket sitting next to the piano. Sir Elton took the stage in a long black jacket with tails. Written on the front, in pink: Elton John, Stardust Kiss. The lenses in his glasses matched perfectly the lettering on his jacket.

Later, when he returned to the stage in a jacket adorned with an ornate Rocket Man illustration on the back, his glasses perfectly matched his red shirt.

It's possible that backstage there was a road case full of glasses to match each Sir Elton wardrobe option. If there is, there's probably someone whose job it is to maintain the glasses, and that would be incredibly awesome if true.

Sir Elton can get away with all that.

It didn't matter that the song

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

was accompanied at one point on the video screen above the stage by illustrations of pink flamingos, and that pink flamingos make no sense in the context of the song. It's still a

great

song and, what the hell? Who doesn't like flamingos?

That's Elton John.

Billy Joel is a guy whose songs you know, whose songs you sing at karaoke, whose CDs you hide places where your friends won't find them when you have a party. Even though they too have Billy Joel CDs.

His songs are built for bars and found their way to arenas and stadiums. He is the extremely likable every man, or at least he played one on stage.

He wore a sport coat and jeans. His water sat on his piano in a red plastic cup. His piano spun around the stage, offering a chance face everyone in the room. If there had been a tip jar, it would have been filled.

He joked about being old, saying, "I'm Billy Joel's Dad, but I know all his (bleep)." He said he wondered if there was a mandatory retirement age, but then he was watching the Super Bowl and the Who, nope, there is obviously no mandatory retirement age.

He bounced on his piano stool like it was an exercise ball, and, speaking of stool, before

We Didn't Start The Fire

, he announced everything would be fine, "As long as I don't (bleep) myself."

He should probably never ever follow a song as good as

with a song as obnoxious as

River of Dreams

, but fine. The people sang and danced.

Old people. Young people. They all sang along. And kept singing when Joel and John finished the show face-to-face. The last two songs of the night? Want to guess?

Good guess. It was

Candle In the Wind

and

Piano Man

. No surprise, but Sir Elton and Billy Joel are past the point where they surprise. They know it. The audience knows it. And they all appeared plenty appreciative.

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