It’s not everyday you get invited to fly to Las Vegas on a private jet with fun friends drinking champagne and eating chocolate covered potato chips to see the one and only Sir Elton John! I know it sounds like I’m making this up, but trust me I’m not. Elton was on my bucket list of must-see concerts-before I die, so the answer to this invite was a no brain-er!
Along this yellow brick road to Vegas we stayed at the amazing Venetian Hotel. It’s not exactly like the real canals of Venice, especially now due to draining the canals to repaint the bottoms. Our dear pals Brad and Tina Hillstrom joined us as guests of Caroline and Michael Cusumano. Now Mike is pretty damn good at black jack and they were ready to gamble, but only after a little French cuisine and some nice bottles of wine.
It’s always a pleasure to dine with the Cusumanos because they love and have great knowledge of wines, so it’s always yummy, fun and educational.
Since it’s a rarity to have a get-a-way opportunity with Ronn that didn’t involve work, this felt like heaven. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and Ronn felt like relaxing by the pool. I don’t enjoy being directly in the sun and we both prefer a more breeziness along with it, spoiled? Yes indeed, we were feeling great. I felt a sense of excitement sweep over me anticipating the Elton John performance that would be the finale of this fantasy get-a-way.
Ronn only had to walk through the Venetian shops with me for my morning cappuccino and it felt romantic to ponder my recent birthday trip to the real Venice. Our breakfast waiter politely greeted us and asked, “Are you Ronn Moss?” He continued to say what a fan he was for Player, which surprised Ronn and then he said, “What did you think I was going to say something about that soap opera?” We got a great laugh out of that one.
Shortly after our breakfast, a young Australian couple asked Ronn for a photo and expressed how much he’s missed in Australia. We actually ran into a few other Aussies who told us that. As you can see our morning was becoming quite an adventure down this yellow brick road of Las Vegas on our way to Elton.
As we continured out of the restaurant, we ran into another lady who thought Ronn looked like Elvis. She told him it was his hair that made him look like Elvis. I couldn’t stop giggling. It seemed like all morning long someone was paying Ronn a compliment everywhere we turned. Then when we all sat down to play some black jack and things got interesting. Since I don’t gamble, I watch, talk, drink and laugh a lot. Mike was trying to teach Ronn how to play and before we could get started the female pit boss comes up to Ronn and tells him how much she loves Player!
She explained that the very first record she played on her record player as teen was “Baby Come Back.” Of course we were all moved listening to her heartfelt enthusiasm for this moment in her life and knew a photo was inevitable. However, you aren’t suppose to take photos at a black jack table in Vegas, didn’t you know that?
Our adventure continued when we entered a long stretched limo just to take us across the street to that grand hotel, “Ceasar’s Palace” to finally see Elton. Caroline informed me they had one extra ticket to give away to someone nice, so I had to help Caroline pick out that lucky person! Settling into our seats and looking at the piano onstage I knew this would be a moment in my life that I would always look back upon fondly.
This yellow brick road I was on was fun and I was enjoying the journey. I thought back to a dinner I had with Elton John and Sylvester Stallone at Nicky Blair’s in 1988. That too was a memorable evening and one that was captured by the paparazzi when we left. I wondered with all the dinners and moments in Elton’s life if he would remember me?
The concert was incredible and our moment in Las Vegas watching Elton’s performance is one that will forever be etched with fondness for all of us. Ronn actually learned a thing or two about black jack and won a few hands. Brad and Tina bought the coolest sunglasses on the planet. And Mike and Caroline gave us a memory that will last a lifetime, thank you so much for the love and friendship.
So goodbye yellow brick road, Las Vegas will always be a special moment in time for us!
3 Comments
Hi Ronn and Devin! Love to read yr blog – as always great read and thanks for all these great pics. Am very happy that u had amazing weekend in Las Vegas with yr friends. BTW Love Ronns long hair. He really looks like Elvis. (((bighug))) Loveu-
Hey Ronn and Devin, I’m so glad you all had a lovely time in Vegas. Sir Elton John puts on such a great concert. I have seen him both with the band and without, and I would much rather hear him without the band. He is so talented he just doesn’t need the distraction. Wishing you all well!
Gary Stevens
“Home Again”: As close as the album gets to launching another John-Taupin classic in the “Elton John sound” tradition. It’s all here, the melody, the piano, the memorable chorus, vocal performance, the production and musical accompaniment (Bellerose’s muted pounding and the delicate use of horns adds the quiet drama). The song’s grieving, guilty longing for a return to places of your past is pure Taupin, who has frequently written of his conflicted emotions of leaving his simple rural roots for the bright lights and yellow brick roads of fame. At this stage of his life Taupin isn’t looking back with regret, but rather, is celebrating his liberation because it was integral to a new acknowledgement and awareness for where he came from. Elton too is a vagabond, who constantly travels and owns several homes around the world, so he too can relate. When he sings, “If I’d never left, I’d never have known,” you can feel his honesty and connection to the lyric and the sentiment. So, if it’s got it all, then why isn’t it a classic? While it has all the needed ingredients of an Elton John classic, it feels like it purposely doesn’t want to go for broke and unleash the innate drama and stirring pathos necessary to transcend and lift the listener like “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me,” “Harmony” or even “When Love Is Dying” does. Maybe in Burnett’s over-riding goal to be different on this album, he did not want it to be over the top. But that decision prevents it becoming something extra special. “Home Again” never reaches the swelling crescendo needed to make it a classic.