Sir Elton throws down energetic set at the Sears Centre

One wouldn't know Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, is 63 years old from the amount of energy the songwriter/performer unleashed Thursday night at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.

In short, the Rocket Man's still got it.

The sold-out show in Chicagoland was packed with adoring fans of all ages. Those who grew up with Sir Elton were in Honky Cat heaven as the exuberant and flamboyant rocker performed familiar hit after crowd-pleasing hit (co-written with his songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin), building the excitement to a frenzy.

Dressed in a black tuxedo with long tails down to his calves and somewhat conservative (for John) sunglasses, the artist spent the evening ripping out the tunes, grinning at the audience, and shouting "Whoa!" and "Woo!" during the instrumental breaks. Between numbers he stood, pointed at sections of the audience, and basked in the love. It was obvious he was having a great time.

Besides John at the Yamaha full-sized grand piano, he was backed by a strong, tight band featuring Bob Birch on bass, Kim Bullard on electric keyboards, John Mahon on percussion, and longtime associates Davey Johnstone on guitar and Nigel Olsson on drums. John was in fine voice, as he stayed comfortably within his baritone range -- he understandably left the high falsetto notes to his band members.

The concert began spectacularly with the powerful instrumental "Funeral for a Friend," which segued, naturally, into "Love Lies Bleeding." The pace didn't let up as John rolled right into "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)," which could have been the show-stopper-but the musical momentum shot through the ceiling with renditions of "Levon," "Madman Across the Water," and "Tiny Dancer."

By this time, the audience was already on its feet, astounded by the number of memorable and beloved tunes surging off the stage, and it was only a half-hour into the show.

An early highlight was the rendition of "Rocket Man," prompting a sing-along from the crowd and at the end an improvised piano boogie-woogie and electrifying guitar solo from Johnstone.

Throughout the show there were enough variations in the arrangements to make instrumental breaks unique and exciting. Screens above the floor broadcasted close-ups of John's hands performing impressive acrobatics on the keys for those sitting in the nosebleed seats.