« Legends: Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Billy Joel »

Three legends in the last few months have all taken centre stage at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, and I’ve been fortunate enough to see them all: Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Billy Joel have performed to separate sold-out crowds since mid-December, each show as different as it was spectacular.

Rod Stewart has not only aged gracefully since I last saw him live at Maple leaf Gardens in 1979, but he is still full of that wild, boundless energy that made me love him so much 35 years ago. His long set was all about embracing his 60s roots and celebrating his 70s successes, with generous tributes to the Motown sound and strolls down many different memory lanes: we were treated to his “Rod the Mod” hits as well as to the big chart-topping numbers that made him a global superstar in the latter half of the 70s.

Rod Stewart serenades the sold-out crowd: Motown, an acoustic set, and then a parade of hits.

He went from a brassy 60s vibe to letting his daughter Ruby sing on her own before joining him on ‘Forever Young’, and then moved to an acoustic set that included his beautiful cover of Cat Stevens’ ‘The First Cut Is The Deepest’. I loved his nod to a cancelled April concert with the inclusion of a Christmas number well-suited to the festive season before he launched into his final numbers, including a rousing version of ‘Proud Mary’ whose presentation owed more than a passing nod to Tina Turner and her flapper go-go dresses.

‘You’re In My Heart’ playing to footage of his beloved Glasgow Celtic team. Mon the Hoops!

It was when he paid tribute to his beloved Glasgow Celtic team and kicked 50 signed soccer balls to the crowd during ‘Hot Legs’ that the energy levels of the arena went through the roof, with balloons and streamers spilling from the ceiling. It was a lively, joyous night that I will remember for a long time.

Great sense of humour. And great legs still too. Some of the soccer balls he kicked out almost reached the upper seats.

Elton John, in early February, was a more subdued affair, and a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the release of his classic ‘Goodbye Yellow-Brick Road’ double album. Much like Rod Stewart, he brought his huge catalogue of hits with him and delivered a long evening of solid entertainment. We were treated to the entire first side of the LP, as well as to other deep cuts from it (including ‘All the Girls Love Alice’) as the evening progressed. What impressed me the most about this almost three-hour performance was Elton John’s willingness to tinker with the melodies of his classic songs and to alter the arrangements they were known for. It made for a show that was surprising and delightful in so many places with riffs and instruments we did not expect, and he delivered a level of mastery at the piano that was stunningly impressive. My only complaint was that the sound quality was uneven throughout the concert, owing to either poor acoustics or problems with the mixing board.

‘The Bitch is Back’ being performed by Elton John, Air Canada Centre, February 6th, 2014

Billy Joel, on Sunday, March 9th, was a show I thought would mirror Elton John much more so than Rod Stewart. However, he bantered and spoke between songs just like Rod did as he took us through his vast back-catalogue. There were jokes about our terrible, endless winter, endearing imitations of Gordon Lightfoot and The Band, apologies for staying away so long, and then there was the music. It takes a certain amount of courage to choose deep cuts that the casual fan would not recognize, but it worked. Joel could have easily thrown out hit after hit to fill the two hours on stage, and it was an unexpected joy to hear ‘Vienna’, ‘Zanzibar’, and ‘the Downeaster Alexa’.

Billy Joel singing ‘Piano Man’ at the Air Canada Centre on March 9, 2014.

The back-up musicians were stellar, and much like I loved the strings and horns that accompanied Rod Stewart, this was a group of accomplished players, and the sax, trumpet, and conga drum solos were flawlessly executed. My favourite musical moment of the night had to be  his moving rendition of ‘She’s Always a Woman”, with ‘Scenes From an Italian Restaurant’ a close second. My only regret was that the show barely lasted two hours. Much too short, I’m afraid, for someone with his talent, energy, and 50 years of professional history to his credit.

In the last week of February, I was also lucky enough to get a heads-up to a smaller local gig by Scottish indie band Glasvegas. They played the Mod Club in Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood, and they too were fun to watch. Between their backdrops of black and white film and the great 80s lamenting vocals of James Allan, who carried on despite being stricken by a flu, I was much impressed by the sound and performances. They didn’t play my favourite song of theirs, ‘I’d Rather Be Dead Than Be With You’, but the hourlong set was filled with great tunes. I’d see them again in a heartbeat. How did I ever hear of them, you might be asking, and why are they included in a review about legends? The answer: in a little Facebook post, radio presenter and Gamesmaster legend Dominik Diamond mentioned their appearance in the small Toronto venue. Dominik has been responsible for some of my more eclectic musical education, and this was one more recommendation that turned me into a fan of yet another fairly obscure band (on this side of the pond). So thanks, Dominik, for giving me the chance to check them out.

Glasvegas performing ‘Geraldine’, Mod Club, Toronto, February 22nd, 2014.

The legend (on the left) and the rock writer after the Glasvegas show. 

All photos from Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Billy Joel taken by Austin Ziegler, used with kind permission.

Photo of Glasvegas taken by Dominik Diamond, used with kind permission.