Elton John - Levon
Live at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, CT
August 29, 1986
If we're going to talk about the handful of good/consistent shows at the beginning of the USA "Ice On Fire" tour, this show in Hartford should be the first to come to mind--especially when his nodule diagnosis was less than two weeks away (meaning they were pretty well developed by this point).
He'd had a few good shows before this night, but after having his day off on the 28th after 3 shows, he did his concert in Hartford and it would become clear things were different on this night.
After a modest start, just a few songs into the night it becomes clear that Elton was noticing something different happening with his voice, and when he's become sure it seems to give him new life, and he not only turns in a high energy and enthusiastic show--but he becomes completely disinhibited vocally. He's going full force on his voice, and he's clearly both rejuvenated and thrilled that his voice is "agreeing" with him for the first time in a while that he begins adding riffs and extra high notes to his normal phrasing.
Now let's make it clear that its not like the classic Elton vocal sound is back--that died back in Europe in April, and he doesn't put any of the abandoned falsettos back in the show. But pretty much everything he had decided he could keep is here, without struggle, and with extra vocal force and extra notes added all over. It has the feeling of a USA 1984 tour show.
Let us also make it clear that it is well within the inconsistent nature of vocal nodules to be able to give a vocal performance like he did this evening, even with nodules having formed on your vocal cords.
This performance of "Levon" is a great example, he's already putting a lot more energy behind the vocal but then in the second part of the song he begins to add extra high notes and changes to the melody. I know I said it before, but it really feels like having his voice work for him in this way gave him an energy he had yet to feel on the tour, and this is definitely one of the songs best performances on the tour.
Even crazier (and I may have to upload this because it's insane, but the difficulty of "Levon" provides for easier demonstrations of vocal strengths or weaknesses) he goes so far as to sing all the lower verses in "This Town" up the octave. I repeat: all the things he could've been having an easier time singing AS WRITTEN, he decided to sing all of it UP THE OCTAVE. That's how good he was feeling vocally.
Now...this lasts almost the full show. Unfortunately during the last few songs his insane over-singing catches up to him, and his voice begins to tire out a bit and there's noticeable moments of instability.
But nobody could guess the true aftermath of the performance he just gave...no, that wouldn't happen until Elton made his way to the stage on Saratoga the following day, when the consequences of his actions the night before would be on full...horrific...display, and the steep downfall would begin.
This doesn't change the fact, however, that this show in Hartford is easily one of the most enjoyable shows on the entire USA leg (for me likely THE most enjoyable). A top 5 gig on the tour easily.