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A concert special that builds on their friendship and collaborative spirit, An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile (Paramount+) features a few John classics, a few Carlile originals, and a few more selections from Who Believes in Angels?, the musicians’ new studio album together. It’s a joyous scene at the Palladium in London, with a stage full of neon signage, and alongside performances from Elton, Brandi, and their band, An Evening With also features Dan Levy, who tosses a softball questions at the duo during brief onstage interview segments, and videotaped testimonials from Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan, Ed Sheeran, and Sam Smith.
Opening Shot: An announcer welcomes us to the London Palladium in the West End, where the theater’s 3000 seats ring the stage for An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile.
The Gist: Their new album together just makes the collaboration between Elton John and Brandi Carlile more official, since they’ve been friendshipping in public for quite some time now. (“Never Too Late,” their title song from the 2024 Elton John documentary, was nominated for an Academy Award.) At the Palladium, with Elton at a grand piano and Brandi on a gorgeous Les Paul electric guitar, the duo gets the crowd moving with an introductory take on the Too Low for Zero single “I’m Still Standing” before they hit the title track from their new album. “Who Believes in Angels?” is built around their duet vocal, naturally, and you’ll find it’s a sound more comfy than a bowl of soup and a cable-knit sweater.
After “Your Song,” which begins as another duet but becomes a full-band operation, Dan Levy appears on stage. How did Elton and Brandi originally meet? What did Elton’s influence on her mean for Brandi’s music and career? Levy’s questions aren’t hard-hitting, but he’s his charming, offhanded self – as a glasses-wearer, he wants to know how many pairs of sunglasses Elton John owns; “I keep them in storage, because my house isn’t that big” – and the interview bits offer a balance between the performances.
“The Joke,” Carlile’s powerful, Grammy-winning ode to visibility and representation, gets a big workout from her and John and their band. (For another terrific performance of “The Joke,” check out Brandi Carlile – In the Canyon Haze.) That energy is matched by “Swing for the Fences,” another one from the new record, where its bracing rock drive features some invigorating keys from John. And the new stuff is cool for heads to hear, but you can’t put Elton on stage in front of a piano and not include more of his bangers, and An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile also includes singalong-ready runs through “Tiny Dancer” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Dua Lipa, who contributes a video testimonial to Elton John in An Evening With, also hit London recently for an enjoyable concert special of her own. But in general, CBS/Paramount+ is a huge fan of this format – see also Lady Gaga’s 2021 toast of Tony Bennett. And Lipa and Carlile were both on hand for Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium.
Our Take: The performances in An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile resonate most whenever their duet vocals take center stage. We’ve seen these two be thick as thieves in interviews, to the point of finishing each other’s sentences. They’re bffs; it’s cool, and their fans love it. But funneling that camaraderie and fellowship into the songs generates a new feel that only accentuates their connection. Like on “You Without Me,” a quieter number from the new album which Carlile dedicates to her daughters, or on their cover of the Patsy Cline classic “Crazy,” which not only does John say he’s never played before, but that he wanted to include it in their Palladium set just to hear Carlile sing it. It’s the kind of collaborative bonhomie duets were made for, and Carlile sends the love John’s way whenever she leans on his piano to sing. She just beams at him between every note and pause.
“At the age I am, I needed to be pushed,” John offers during one of the interview segments with Levy. “I wanted to be pushed – I don’t want to coast.” It’s a strong moment, but only a thread, since it’s not necessarily supported by the bits and pieces of footage from recording Who Believes in Angels? that appear in An Evening With. (What is shown actually feels like a tease for some future full-length documentary, though you can also watch a bit more of it online.) In this special, the creative push John alludes to is best served by the music itself.
Sex and Skin: Come on now, what? Instead, let’s highlight a fun Brandi Carlile anecdote. From the stage at the Palladium, where she rocks a white suit with gold trim, Carlile describes Past Brandi at a high school talent show, who also rocked a white suit. While her classmates sang Bette Midler and Whitney Houston songs, Carlile performed as Honky Chateau-era Elton John.
Parting Shot: “Ba-Doo-Dom-Doo-Day! Ohhh Tutti Frutti!” Elton and Brandi and their band close out the evening with a rousing rendition of “Little Richard’s Bible,” another new one from Who Believes in Angels?, followed by a big group bow from the stage.
Sleeper Star: Speaking of the band, the personnel up there for An Evening With includes “The Twins,” Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth from Brandi Carlile’s regular backing band, as well as Who Believes in Angels? producer Andrew Watt, and Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer, respectively the drummer of and occasional guitarist for Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Most Pilot-y Line: “The thing everyone needs to know,” Brandi tells Dan Levy during an interview, “is that I never would’ve written a song or touched an instrument if I hadn’t had Elton John.”
Our Call: Stream It, especially if you’ve been a fan of these two being pals as they’ve made the media rounds. An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile celebrates their new album together as much as it does their lasting and very visible bond as friends.
Johnny Loftus (@glennganges) is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift.
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