Elton John Retires Team Rocket at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES – 47 years after he took the stage in a sequin-encrusted baseball jersey as the world’s biggest pop star at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, Elton John took the stage on Sunday night in a dazzling Dodger bathrobe. Appeared in Suitable for a 75-year-old man on the verge of retirement.

A crowd of over 50,000 roared as it came into the final minutes of what John called the final North American concert of the tour.

“I will be 76 next year, so I want to spend time with my family,” he said.

He hugged and kissed her husband, David Furnish, while his two sons, Zachary, 11, and Elijah, 9, wore matching Dodger jackets with “Elton” written across the back, while the crowd I happily waved to

John then burst into “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, the inevitable final song that gave the “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” tour its name.

A crowd full of Rocket men and Rocket women, blue jeans babies and LA women, many of whom are John’s age, but a lot of young people in their 20s, 30s and 40s, “Rocket Man” and “Tiny dancer”. Some people wiped away their tears.

Many wore their own sequins and sequins, glittering glasses, top hats, feather boas, and in some cases, Donald Duck suits representing stages of John’s 55-year career.

“Thank you for dressing me up,” said John.

When the final song was over, John stripped off his robes to reveal another retirement outfit, a green and red tracksuit, and stepped into a small transparent elevator that lifted him into an opening in the background. On the huge video screen, I could see him walking far down the yellow brick road.

Many others joined John on this occasion.

Kiki Dee sings a duet song “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”.

“In 1975, this woman was here with me and we sang this song,” John brought Dee. I asked you to

John jumped up from his usual keyboard position, grabbed the mic, and sang and danced with Dee as rehearsal piano player Adam Chester hit the keys instead.

John performed “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” in honor of four bandmates who died in his career, and after the first verse brought in another guest, ” Ladies and gentlemen, Brandi Carlisle!”

The moment was an unspoken tribute to another late collaborator, George Michael, who also duetted with John on this song in 1991.

Carlyle, the centerpiece of Joni Mitchell’s recent stage return, wore her own Dodger-themed spangle suit. “said. She faced the crowd as John put his arms around her and soaked in her applause.

For the first song of the encore, “Cold Heart,” Dua Lipa performed her 2021 hit with John in a black dress that contrasted with everyone else’s sparkle.

“Words can’t describe how it feels to be 75 and have the world record,” John later said. “And this was my first hit 52 years ago.”

He began playing piano chords and sang “A little crazy, this feeling inside”, the opening line of 1970s “Your Song”.

“That was your song, Los Angeles!” he exclaimed later.

About two hours ago, after taking the stage in a tuxedo with sequins spread over a flame design and opening a concert with “Benny and the Jets,” he explained the importance of the city to his music.

“Okay, this is a very special night for me, a very emotional night for me, and it’s been a long road, and I came to the City of Angels in Los Angeles in 1970 for the first time here in America, and I went to a club. called the Troubadour.

Streamed live on Disney+, the concert was the last of three nights at the stadium (and his 103rd show in the LA area, he told the audience). Farewell Yellow Brick Road His tour began in September 2018 with the first of his over 300 scheduled dates. Suspended in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic and resumed in 2021.

In January John will be heading to Australia and New Zealand, followed by England and Europe. He is set to finish his Sweden stint in July, but has made it clear that he has only finished his trip, not making music.

Many of those who have backed him have been with his band since the beginning, or very close to it, including Nigel Olson, his drummer since 1969, and Davey Johnstone, his guitarist since 1971. was participating in led the band on a ripped version of “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”.

John also provided a rare onstage glimpse of lyricist Bernie Taupin, an even longer term collaborator and writer of most of the lyrics the crowd sang all night long.

“We’ve been writing together since 1967,” Jon hugged Taupin. “We still love each other more than ever.”