Last Saturday, the Colonial Theater hosted a show that was as close to the real thing as it gets, without being the real thing. Almost Elton John rocked the night away with his band on his “Remember When Rock was Young: Elton John Tribute” tour.
Almost Elton John, Craig A. Meyers, played piano, danced around the stage and had a few tricks up his sleeve. He had three different costume changes, each outfit made of sequin, velvet and mesh. To top it all off, he wore matching top hats and platform boots that matched all his outfits. Even the platform heels did not stop him from doing a half handstand on his piano in the second half of the show. According to gigmasters, he is the third best Elton John impersonator in the states.
Samantha Moore / Art Director
Meyers started out the show by saying, “If you know the lyrics to the songs, sing loud. If you don’t know them, sing louder.” Most of the people in the crowd knew the words though, and belted out some of Elton John’s top hits like “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man,” “Your Song,” “Bennie and the Jets” and “Don’t go Breaking my Heart.” He even took a moment to crack a few jokes about the most common misheard lyrics in Elton John’s songs. Like “Hold me closer, Tony Danza” instead of “tiny dancer.”
For many of the songs, most of the crowd was on their feet. Meyers said the dry air was making his throat sore and asked for everyone to sing along to every song.
Julie Moulten, who had been singing and dancing for most of the show, said, “His voice sounded a little tired, but he has all the same inflections in his voice.” At the end of the show, Almost Elton John and the band left the stage as the crowd cheered for an encore. Moulten was cheering, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me,” and when the band came out to play their final encore, they played Moulten and her husband’s favorite song,” stated Moulten.
At the end of the night, Arlene Edes, a Keene resident who attended the show, said that Almost Elton John was “second best.” She also said she was excited to come back to see more shows at the Colonial. Ticket prices start around $40, and the theater is open for patrons of all ages. The Colonial is a popular spot for residents of Keene and surrounding towns.
Donna Hilow, another Keene resident, and her husband Mark said Meyer was “not quite Elton John, but he d[id] a really great job.”
Alyssa Salerno can be contacted at asalerno@kscequinox.com
