Everyone has been buzzing about Elton John. He was scheduled to give a free concert in the city center last night, a benefit for AIDS research. (How can a concert be free and also a benefit? The government paid millions.)
I thought it would be cool to see Elton John--here I am in Kyiv, here he is in Kyiv. I grew up with his music. The lyrics to "Philadelphia Freedom" and "Benny and the Jets" are forever in my long-term memory, although not much else is getting in there. But my friend Steve was having a party last night---I couldn't diss him.
I was curious about preparations for the concert so I wandered around Kreshatyk and Maidan yesterday afternoon. Cops everywhere, barricades, entries to the metro blocked off, giant TV screens with Elton John's face. A bus was unloading young volunteers in red AIDS awareness T-shirts.
As I walked back to my apartment, I ran into Larissa and Charaine, fellow teachers on their way to the concert. "Come with us!" "Gotta go to Steve's," I said. More teachers came along, Ronnie and John. "Going to see Elton John?" "Going to Steve's," I said morosely.
By then I REALLY wanted to be part of this giant Elton John Kyiv street festival. But I went to Steve's.
Steve's new girlfriend was there. Steve didn't seem to mind that a couple of hours into the party, everybody jumped up and ran off to go see Elton John.
It was wonderful to watch Ukrainians singing along with Elton John's music from my youth. There were wild bursts of applause to the opening chords of some songs, not those I expected. Maybe only certain albums were sold as bootlegs in the USSR.
I didn't get to bed until dawn, or 3:30 a.m. Life in a northern latitude!
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2 comments:
Amazing that after all these years you'd see Elton John in Kyiv. I have such vivid memories of listening to his music up in Kit's bedroom with her and Joe.
Good words.
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