Elton Mesmerizes Georgia

So, Elton John – where do I start? Probably by addressing him as Sir Elton instead of just his (admittedly unusual, you have to agree with Rowan Atkinson here) name? Alternatively, we could just call him the living legend that he is – although that would also cheapen the man’s achievements- there are a few living legends out there, some have even performed in Georgia, but there’s one and only Sir Elton John. And when it was announced that this wonderful man, after postponing his planned concert back in 2017, would this time really give it a go, there was little choice but to pack things, thank the gods (and the marketing teams) for things like press accreditation and head to Adjara. Oh, and lest I forget – the concert was organized by Eastern Promotion in the scope of the government’s Check in Georgia program, adding yet another feather to their proverbial hat. Apparently, it was also Sir Elton’s first and only European show this year, before a massive gig in the States that’s supposed to kick off in September 2018.

Not one known to be understated, the 71-year-old British musician nonchalantly flew to Tbilisi on a personal jet hours before the concert, before heading to Adjara, specifically to the Black Sea Arena in Shekvetili that has become a familiar stage for world famous stars performing in Georgia. To his credit, if he was suffering jetlag, he made no show of it whatsoever. At around 9pm, clad all in black (of course with some sprinkles and starry bits and whatnot, but still – this was by far the most somber outfit I have seen him perform in), Sir Elton appeared, accommodated himself at the enormous black piano and started doing what he does best – quality music. The repertoire consisted of songs from his latest album Wonderful Crazy Night, with some older, well-known hits strewn around. Here is a bulleting of sorts, with a few takeaways from the first day, both good and bad:

• Good: Everything was well-organized, down to the police and security being alert and at the same time non-intrusive. Well done on that part.

• Bad? The concert was just two hours and perhaps a ten minutes long. Sure, I get it, the man is 71 and unlikely to gallop around the stage and pull an all-nighter, but I would have done just fine with an additional hour.

• Good: An enthusiastic, if cultured audience. Lots of old timers, the original hypsters, my parents’ generation. All clearly enjoying the show.

• Bad? Acoustic system. The quality itself was fine and you could tell the equipment and sound system were top notch, but whoever the sound engineer was had little idea how to tune it down, or just little regard for other people’s ears, or both. This was one of those concerts where not being in the first rows actually helped.

• Good: harking back to my earlier complaint on the concert being a bit too short, this time I would like to applaud the said 71 year old gentleman for rolling back the years, being a spritely chap and not forgetting to stand up, have a stroll or two and cheer his public repeatedly (not that we needed any encouragement, mind you).

• Bad? Nothing. Disregard the earlier bads as well. There can be nothing bad about an Elton John concert.

The first half of the concert consisted of more mellow tracks, ideal for those who were there to sit and enjoy it, while the second part was more dance-y and energetic, with the guitarist taking a bit of the limelight. Credit where its due, the lighting works were superb – no flashy special effects, but they added some nifty touches to the overall atmosphere. The final applause was a roaring one, with the musician “forced” to play additional songs several times, submitting to popular demand.

Update from the second day: Everything got even better – better sound, Elton being even more energetic and the concert lasting longer than the previous one. I don’t know whether they feed him Khinkali or Khachapuri but Elton (he’s been here for two days already, we can call him simply Elton now) seemed to have grown in(to) Georgia.

Fun fact: A drum stick was thrown, a Georgian girl caught it. What’s fun about that? That it’s the same girl who caught a drum stick at the Scorpions concert last year. I sense a pattern here. Or I am probably just jealous. Probably the later.

By Inga Mumladze