Jamie Woodford
Lethbridge Herald
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The Rocket Man is coming to Lethbridge. Sir Elton John will perform his "Greatest Hits Live" tour Tuesday, April 24 at Enmax Centre. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m.
Probably the biggest act to come to the city since Neil Young's concert three years ago, the announcement of John's stop in the windy city created instant online buzz. Local Twitter feeds expressed a gamut of emotions from ecstatic to skeptical.
"@Leth_Herald I still don't believe the #EltonJohn concert . . . something's up!!" said one tweet.
"Just checked the calendar to make sure it isn't April Fools Day. Elton John is coming to little old Lethy?! I'm excited and even touched," said another.
Die hard fans were bewildered that John would choose to play here.
"Holy crap I have shivers - ELTON JOHN IN #YQL!!!!!!!"
"I feel like I'm still asleep and this is just some crazy bizarre dream, Elton John is coming to Lethbridge!!"
Some tweets even offered suggestions for ways to spruce up the city for the "Crocodile Rock" star's arrival.
"Sir Elton John in Lethbridge! Wonder if the city can be covered in bling? Rhinestone sidewalks and fringed lamps. I would like to see that."
Landing a big-name star was team effort, said Lana Barlow, sales and marketing manager at Enmax Centre.
"We all worked really hard with the promoters and managed to be one of the successful venues that got him here," she said.
"He's one of the world's greatest performers and we're very proud that we are able to bring him here for all the people of southern Alberta."
Barlow said John's concert will coincide with the grand opening of the newly renovated centre.
"We really wanted an phenomenal performer here to celebrate with us."
She said centre was a whirlwind of activity after the announcement was made, and with 6,400 tickets up for grabs, they are bound sell quickly.
"We have a pool going," she laughed. "But most people think that we'll be sold out within an hour."
Fans will likely line up Friday night before tickets go on sale Saturday morning, but many people will also utilize the Internet to purchase their tickets.
"A lot of the demographic is probably going to be out of town, because of course (Elton John) is not going to Calgary, so a lot of those people will go the online route . . . and then probably more locals will come and line up, but they're going to use the online stuff as well," she said. "We suspect people will be here Friday night. We're prepared for it, for the people to sleep over."
Elton John's 50-year career has made him a household name with his timeless songs including "Bennie and the Jets," "Candle in the Wind" and "Your Song."
Since 1969, John has performed at nearly 3,000 concerts. His current show will feature chart topping hits as well as songs from his classic albums.
One of the top-selling solo artists of all time, he has sold more than 250 million records around the world and is credited with 35 gold and 25 platinum albums, and 29 consecutive Top 40 hits. John also holds the record for the biggest selling single of all time, "Candle in the Wind '97," which sold 37 million copies.
Tickets for the Lethbridge concert range from $107 to $167 and are available at the Enmax Centre NE Ticket Centre, online at www.enmaxcentre.ca or by calling 403-329-7328.