Elton John - Live at Toyota Center in Houston, 3/28/13

 

Elton John is one of those acts that I just had to see while he is still touring and going strong. His catalog is the definition of classic piano-based rock, his songs have weaved their way into the fabric of American music, and he still receives rave reviews for his live show despite his ripe age of 66. Elton's Thursday night show in Houston was the only Texas date to be announced, so I didn't think twice about the 340-mile round-trip drive to the show on a weeknight. It was completely worth every penny and ounce of exhaustion.

The 'Madman Across the Water' hit the stage ten minutes after 8pm, and he barely stopped for a drink of water until he finished impressing Houston after nearly three hours of non-stop hits. Elton's voice has grown deeper over the years, and he's not quite as visually dynamic as you might see in some of his television performances from the 70s. None of this matters.

In fact, the argument could be made that Elton's current vocals are stronger and better suited to his songs than ever before. His nimble piano playing demonstrated that he's not slowing down or letting his age get the best of him (at least 25% of the shots on the big screens were close-ups of Elton's fingers), and his flawless band and four female backup singers provided further support in the energy department.

The Houston crowd showed Elton a lot of love in between songs, but I've never been to an arena concert where I felt the majority of the crowd was as uninterested in having a good time as at this show. There's something seriously wrong when Elton John and his band are jamming out to 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting' and only one out of every ten people on the arena floor is standing up and/or singing along. Chalk it up to aging boomers perhaps, but seriously, do they not have enough energy to stand up for more than an hour? I honestly felt bad for Elton. He deserves so much more from his fans.

Setlist:

1. The Bitch Is Back
2. Bennie and the Jets
3. Grey Seal
4. Levon
5. Tiny Dancer
6. Holiday Inn
7. Believe
8. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
9. Philadelphia Freedom
10. Candle in the Wind
11. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
12. Rocket Man 
13. Hey Ahab
14. I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
15. Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
16. Take Me to the Pilot
17. All The Young Girls Love Alice
18. Sad Songs (Say So Much)
19. Daniel
20. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
21. The One
22. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
23. I'm Still Standing
24. Crocodile Rock
25. Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
    
    Encore:
26. Your Song

Muse @ Toyota Center in Houston, 3/12/13

Muse's tour supporting their most recent album, The 2nd Law, has been mostly a success to this point. During a tour of a couple dozen European markets in the winter, Muse announced they would be bringing the tour to North American shores in 2013, to much excitement from their fans.

The shows have been earning rave reviews, not only for the band's incredible stage with a moving and constantly contorting "pyramid" of LED panels, but also for their spectacular musicianship, showmanship, and energy. They brought it all to Toyota Center in Houston last Tuesday, March 12, 2013 to what seemed to be a nearly sold out crowd. The floor was packed full of devotees who would show their love for their band with an all-out sing-along to Time is Running Out.

This was my second Muse show, as I was about 50 feet from the stage for their 2010 headlining set at Austin City Limits Festival. While that show featured perhaps a stronger connection with the crowd, this tour proved that Muse is truly a global class act when it comes to shiny, pretty things on stage. Guitars were lit up with LEDs. Lyrics flashed across lead singer Matthew Bellamy's sunglasses at one point, reminiscent of a stock ticker. These are things you don't see every day. It's frankly impossible to be bored at a Muse concert. Just wait 30 seconds and something interesting will light up, implode, or shoot out of a cannon.

That being said, they've earned their fair share of criticism for the direction the band has taken with the last two albums. Playing with direct references to Queen-like bravado (United States of Eurasia), classical music (Exogenesis: Symphony), and oh-so-of-the-moment dubstep (The 2nd Law: Unsustainable), Muse continues to question its own sound, while at the same time defining and pushing it further into something unique. Perhaps it's the fusion of all their influences that will continue to make the band interesting in the years ahead. Regardless, any Muse song translates better live in concert, whether we're talking about an old classic, a rarity, or a new wordless abstract piece. They've learned to walk a very fine line of performance grandiosity and clearly-visible talent.