Page 20 - ION Indie Magazine JulyAugust 2022

The capacity crowd was adorned in outsized
glitter glasses and flickering hats in a show of
love for their idol, Elton John. On seeing this
display, which lit up the arena’s audience, Elton
John said before sliding offstage on a sort of
backwards escalator, “It makes me so happy. It
feels so great, you’re so kind. I’ve been coming
to America now for 52 years, and the kindness
that you’ve shown me in this country has been
quite astonishing.”

Well, it’s been our privilege, Elton. After all,
you’ve gifted us so many iconic melodies and
lasting memories. And you gave us more to
remember in your 23-song set, from the splendid
balladry of “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” to
the dry-ice drama of “Funeral for a Friend/Love
Lies Bleeding,” and the no-sitting-allowed body
rock of “I’m Still Standing” and “Saturday Night's
Alright For Fighting.” And if it put some of us baby
boomers in mind of a time when possibilities
seemed boundless and this century’s horrors
unimaginable, well, where’s the harm in that? If
this was indeed Elton John’s final farewell, we
may rest assured his songs will linger long after
his flamboyant half-century onstage.

My wife Sara and myself have a beautiful 16-
year-old daughter named Maret. We often say
she has an "old soul,’ especially when it comes
to music. Her two favorites are The Beach Boys
and Elton John. We have taken her to see The
Beach Boys twice and were hoping we would
have an opportunity for her to see Elton. Luckily,
that door opened when we discovered he had a
show booked just a couple of hours from our
hometown in Michigan. We were able to get
tickets and then presented them to Maret as her
big surprise gift at Christmas. We will never
forget the look on her face when she opened that
present and immediately burst into tears of joy!
The hardest part was the wait, as the show was
not until that following April. But the day finally
arrived, and this is where I will let Maret share
her experience with you. - Scott Wikle