Saturday afternoon turned into “Saturday Night” as Elton John held a surprise concert at the famous Tower Records parking lot in West Hollywood. The free one-hour show was a thank you to the City of West Hollywood for hosting his annual Oscar Party in support of the Elton John Aid Foundation.
Rumors started circulating that something was going on at Tower Records when Vintage LA’s Facebook’s page posted a picture saying “What’s Happening at Tower Records?” It was obviously a stage set up and many assumed since it was Oscar week in LA, it was an Oscar party. Towers Records venue hasn’t been used since Colin Hanks had a premiere party there and decorated the place with the old Tower Records sign and logo to support his documentary on Tower Records called “All Things Must Pass.”
The show was officially announced on John’s Official Twitter Pageat 9:00 AM this morning. AOLBuildhad a live stream of the show in which Lady Gaga appeared to duet with John for his classic hit “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”
“I love Tower Records,” John said on stage this afternoon. “I could have bought Los Angeles for all the money I spent at Tower Records.” As he reflected on his time in West Hollywood, John said. “I first came to West Hollywood in 1970 when I played a show at the Troubadour (on Santa Monica Boulevard) which I am happy to say is still open.”
During his AOL interview with Sharon Osbourne the morning before the stream, John said that his Elton John AIDS Foundation and his Oscar party which began in 1999, had raised more than $350 million dollars had been raised in the fight against AIDS.
John sang three songs off his new album, “Wild Crazy Nights,” the title track, “Blue Wonderful,” which he described as a very LA song, “A Good Heart” and “Looking Up” along with his classic hits “Bennie and the Jets,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man,” “Levon” and “Saturday Night’s (Alright For Fighting), “The Bitch is Back”, “Your Song” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”
John sat at his piano with his band and performed wearing a black glitter suit with red accents highlighted a red glittered rose on the back, with red lace glitter sleeves and red shoes. Lady Gaga complimented her friend well in her blue classic dress. The shoes she wore was as amazing as the voice with 6-inch heels and stilted platforms that she seemed to have no problem moving across the stage in.
To support the Elton John AIDS Foundation, visit: EJAF.org
“Wonderful Crazy Night,” John’s new album is available now.
This article was originally published on Feb. 2016 on AXS.com
