TORONTO - Sing us a song, you're The Piano Men.
And so Elton John and Billy Joel did for a marathon three-and-a-half-hours on Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre.
The longest-running, most successful concert pairing in pop history - which dates back to 1994 - returned to play the first of two sold-out shows of their so-called Face 2 Face tour. The second ACC outing is May 30.
The 62-year-old flamboyant Brit and the 60-year-old wise-cracking New Yorker last toured together in 2003/2004 but no rust was evident even if the proceedings were just a tad too long.
At least nobody can say they didn't get their moneys worth.
After their pianos dramatically rose out from underneath beneath the floor on an enormous stage dominated by a curved LED screen high above it, the formidable duo kicked off the night with John's Your Song followed by Joel's Just The Way You Are.
It was a gentle beginning to what would eventually become a raucous opening to John's solo set that followed, starting with the obligatory Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding before going straight into Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, a real barnburner that normally closes John's show.
Both songs are from John's seminal 1973 double album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, the title track of which was also played by the singer-pianist and his five-man band which included longtime guitarist Davey Johnstone and original drummer Nigel Olsson.
"It's great to be back in Toronto, we always have a great time when we're here," said John, who arrived fresh off a press conference earlier in the day with his longtime Canadian partner David Furnish at the city's Starz Animation Studio where their animated musical comedy, Gnomeo And Juliet, is being made.
Wearing black tails with the words "Music Magic" in colorful sequins on the back offset by a fuschia top and silver shoes, John then delved further back in his catalogue with the early '70s tunes, Burn Down The Mission, Madman Across The Water, and Tiny Dancer.
Those songs began the slower part of John's set which also included Daniel, and an epic Rocket Man, which saw people on the floor finally rush the stage, before the gospel-infused Levon, I'm Still Standing and Crocodile Rock finally picked the energy up again.
Then it was Joel's turn to wow the crowd and he did a great job while playing on a piano that rotated.
"Good evening to you Toronto," said Joel, who proved to be the far more chattier of the two performers. "I'm Billy's dad. Billy couldn't make it tonight, he still thinks you have that SARS stuff going."
That declaration was greeted by boos.
"Listen, Sir Elton and I were supposed to play here but there was this thing called SARS. We were ready to come, but your health minister said not to come - not my fault," he said before adding with a smile: "So I'm here to bring you swine flu."
Joel, backed by an eight piece band including two horn players, actually proved to be both a vital and funny performer, kicking off his solo set with the energetic Angry Young Man , Movin' Out, Zanzibar and Don't Ask Me Why, before moving temporarily into slower territory with She's Always A Woman.
But it wasn't long before the hipwiggling began again with Scenes From An Italian Restaurant and River Of Dreams, while Joel strapped on an electric guitar for We Didn't Start The Fire, and hammed it up in front of the microphone during It's Still Rock It's Still Rock N' Roll To Me.
Joel scored further points by remembering gigs at both Massey Hall and Maple Leaf Gardens and seeing Gordon Lightfoot at Massey, calling him one of his heroes, before performing a snippet of Alberta Bound, causing the the audience to clap along.
The show actually could have ended quite nicely after Joel's set given it was now at the three hour mark but John return for a final run of duets, the best of which were Joel's Uptown Girl and You May Be Right, and John's The Bitch Is Back, featuring both men initially standing on top of their pianos, and Bennie And The Jets.
I'm not sure why covers of The Beatles' Birthday and Back In The USSR were really necessary as the lengthy show started to wind down but at least the duo closed with their own signature ballads, John's Candle In The Wind and Joel's Piano Man.
SET LIST:
(Together)
Your Song
Just The Way You Are
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Ode To Joy/My Life
(Elton John)
Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
Burn Down the Mission
Madman Across the Water
Tiny Dancer
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Daniel
Rocket Man
Levon
I'm Still Standing
Crocodile Rock
(Billy Joel)
Prelude/Angry Young Man
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
Allentown
Zanzibar
Don't Ask Me Why
She's Always A Woman
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
River of Dreams
We Didn't Start the Fire
Be Bop A Lula/It's Still Rock N' Roll To Me
Only the Good Die Young
(Together)
I Guess That Why They Call It The Blues
Uptown Girl
The Bitch Is Back
You May Be Right
Bennie and the Jets
Birthday
Back in the USSR
Candle in the Wind
Piano Man
