Elton John is now on stage

Elton John walked out to lots of cheers from the almost sold out (I spotted a couple of seats in the top row) Citizens Business Bank Arena.

Then he started clapping his hands and the audience followed along.

His first song is “Saturday Night” with its memorable chorus and catchy rhythm and his voice sounds good. Unlike Russell, there is no muffled sound.

Fans in the front row are standing and clapping along to his piano playing and the guitarist. In the backdrop is a large LCD screen with multiple colors.

When he finished, he stood up from his piano and bowed to a large applause.

His next song is “Philadelphia Freedom,” his No. 1 hit from 1975. People in the front row again are singing along and clapping while the LCD screen is showing swirls of red, white and blue.

“Good evening Ontario. We’re very happy to be here. And I’m in a partying mood.”

He then asked the crowd to sing along to his 1973 No. 1 hit “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and they followed his lead.

The lighting has changed to soft hues of blue, purple and a darker vibe to match the slower song, an interesting choice for a partying mood.