Their two-night stand at the MGM Grand Garden marked the only non-stadium dates of both legs of the outing, which was remarkably successful.įor instance, the two sold out Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a whopping five times, drawing nearly 300,000 fans in the span of a week in July 1994. It was mano a mano, piano a piano, when Elton John and Billy Joel first teamed up for their blockbuster “Face to Face” tour in 1994-95.Īnd Vegas was the only place you could see them with a roof. Twenty years later, it remains John’s most intimate ticketed gig in Las Vegas. “We’re gonna be as up as we can tonight,” he promised after a show-opening “The Bitch Is Back.” “More piano!” John can be seen mouthing heatedly at the onset of his set at the now-shuttered, 1,200-capacity Circus Maximus theater, setting an edgy tone for the concert. While there may not have been technical difficulties with your laptop that night, there seemed to be some onstage when Elton John played a big show in a small room on New Year’s Eve. The end times would have to wait until the Kardashians got on the air. Mass hysteria was averted, there were no locust showers, nor did dogs and cats start living together. No, computers didn’t crash en masse on Jan. That would change big time over the ensuing decades.Ĭircus Maximus, Caesars Palace, Dec.

“Tumbleweed” remains an inspired outlier in John’s catalog, his most country- and blues-influenced offering.įour years after his first show here, John returned to the venue, but then he’d only play in Las Vegas three times in the next 20 years. tour, in support of his third record, “Tumbleweed Connection.” John made his Las Vegas debut on his third U.S. It took a concept album about the American West to actually get Elton John to the American West. Since first coming here on tour in the early ’70s, John has logged a number of memorable performances, from christening Studio 54 at the MGM Grand in December 1997 to duetting with Celine Dion at a benefit concert at Caesars Palace in February 2006 to playing Andre Agassi’s Grand Slam for Children concerts more than a half dozen times.Īs John brings his farewell tour to town this weekend, let’s look back at five of his most noteworthy Las Vegas shows: It might the last time we see Elton John live in Las Vegas. He’s played here more than any other city. Elton John performs onstage during his 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' final tour at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, in New York.

Elton john concert valley view casino