What pair of entertainers performed Candle in the Wind and Piano Man?”
Here’s something you’ll find only a Billy Joel/Elton John concert: Air piano. Instead of standard rock-guy faux-guitar contortions, fans — baby boomers and teenagers — were moved to impressionist ivory-tickling as the icons of piano pop played a three-hour, song-swapping concert at KeyArena. Part of the ongoing Face 2 Face Tour, Wednesday night was the first of two makeup dates at Key, which, along with a performance set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, recoup a pair scrapped in November due to John’s illness. He and Joel appeared hale and spirited on stage Wednesday night, John earringed, in sunglasses and wearing a black tailcoat and pink silk scarf that read “Stardust Kiss”; Joel subdued in a black jacket, slacks and T-shirt. Both are rounder and heavier — and in Joel’s case, balder — than in their hitmaking heyday, but the weight of their songs has also increased with age. Joel took the stage to “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” John to “God Save the Queen.” Rendering the tour title literally, they
Together they emerged onstage, a pair of pudgy piano players (say it three times fast!) performing the sweet ballad “Your Song.” It set the mood for the rest of the evening–a nostalgic three hours during which Billy Joel and Elton John played their own songs, each other’s songs, and several duets. And damn, were they good. They’ll be doing it all again this Saturday. Anybody interested in a second go? (Raises hand.) Here are some key notes from last night’s concert: The crowd: A jam-packed house of graying baby boomers, families with children, drunk 20-somethings. Like my dad used to tell me while he was washing the car and humming along to “Crocodile Rock,” great music really does withstand time and gets passed on to younger generations.
