After a two-year delay due to the pandemic, Elton John returned to New York for his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour. On Saturday, March 5, and Sunday, March 6, John rocked the house of Long Island’s Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum for a memorable final league of his tour.

Known for his high-energy music and colorful performances throughout his career, 74-year-old John didn’t miss a beat despite his older age. The real magic of his stage presence isn’t just his over-the-top outfits and bejeweled sunglasses, but it is also the effortless talent he displays with every song he performs.

With 22 songs on his setlist, John performed a wide variety of some of his most famous hits. He kicked off the night with his famous song “Bennie and the Jets.” After playing just one chord, John had the crowd, both young and old, getting up from their seats to move to the infectious melody and tune of his music.

The concert was beautifully paced and felt as if it was constructed like a piece of sheet music itself. After “Bennie and the Jets,” which felt like an overture for the entire concert, John spent the beginning of the concert performing many of his softer, slower paced piano ballads. Songs like “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)” and “Candle in the Wind” gave the audience an opportunity to sit and appreciate the story he was crafting through his lyrics and piano playing. As the concert progressed, the music he performed  became increasingly more intense, with the climax being his performances of “Crocodile Rock” and “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” before the encore.

For his encore, John returned to the stage to sing his latest chart-topper featuring Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart,” and his first chart-topper “Your Song.” His “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” concert ended with, of course, a performance of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” from his 1973 album of the same name. With pictures from throughout the past six decades of his career flashing on the screen behind him, his final performance was a swan song spectacle that felt like a true farewell to New York.

It’s easy to see John’s decades of experience reflected in the intimate and emotional way he performed every song. From his more mellow songs like “Border” and “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” to his high-intensity songs like “I’m Still Standing” and “The Bitch is Back,” John brought an incredible amount of energy that was captivating to watch unfold through his music.

What really made John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour so special was not just his energy, but the audience’s energy as well. Cramped inside the now barely-used Nassau Coliseum with people whose ages ranged from infant to 80+ felt like a family reunion but with only the cool, crazy relatives. People were dressed in handmade replicas of some of John’s most famous outfits and iconic style of glasses, and the audience had this shared energy of overwhelming anticipation and joy. Most people that packed the stadium had expected to see the show back in April 2020, and now, two years later, they finally had the chance.

John noted throughout the concert that this stop on Long Island would be his last indoor concert in New York. Only time will tell whether John will stick to that statement or not since his “farewell” tour has already lasted almost four years. The tour, which began in September 2018, is set to conclude after five years in 2023. Whether this really is his final farewell or not, John put on an electrifying performance to remember.

Is this the final part of the tour? I looked it up and it seemed like there were a lot of tour stops left