Reginald Kenneth Dwight; better known by his stage name Elton John, gave a highly entertaining performance at the Cynthia Woods Pavilion in the Woodlands, Texas on May 1st.

Having been a fan of Elton since I was probably about 8, I had some expectations for this concert, considering my lawn seat was worth $49 and the shirt I purchased was $40– I wanted my money’s worth so to speak.

If you know anything about Elton’s music, you should be familiar with his uniquely high vocals and exceptional piano playing skills.

I’ve read things about how Elton performed at the beginning of his career when he was younger, and from my understanding, he was quite the performance giver. With this in mind, I was excited but also a tad iffy because I was expecting him to not be as entertaining and to sing at a lower octave in regards to his now age of 68.

When Elton entered the stage at 8:00 pm, the crowd erupted into a cheer. With mutual excitement, I too stood up and awaited for the first song. He wore less flamboyant attire than he did in the past, but he was still sporting an awesome sequined tux with “EJ” on the back.

To my surprise, he started off with a rather slow song, however it does make sense considering the amount of slow songs he has. Concerts tend to “end of a high note” with an upbeat tune, so it was understandable that he opened with the song that he did.

Although age may have affected his ability to hit the high notes, it in no way affected the quality of his singing. As I expected, his singing tactic was indeed lower than the original recorded songs. However, on some notes Elton gestured for the audience to sing which in turn, made the concert more interactive and personal; almost like a duet.

I was also astonished at the way he played the piano. At the Pavilion, there are two giant screens for the people farther from the stage. There was a camera placed on Elton’s piano so you could see his hands playing the keys, and that was transferred to the big screen. It was so cool to see a close up of the great live music he was making.

He also played every song that I personally know, and a lot that I hadn’t heard before. Classics like Daniel, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Your Song, I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues, I’m Still Standing, Saturday Night, and closing song, Crocodile Rock were all equally a blast to experience in a live performance.

I honestly find it amazing how someone can give such a fantastic performance while almost never leaving the seat behind a piano. I loved how Elton showed his appreciation for his fans by signing autographs on stage and personally saying how thankful he was for his fans in America, and all over the world. I can only imagine what a concert was like when he was in his “prime”.

If I could, I would attend every Elton John concert until he retires because he makes them worth your while. I would recommend seeing Elton John perform live to anyone, because all ages deserve to see this gracious and talented man.