Things to know about Saturday’s concert at Covelli Centre

January 30, 2014 at 12:05a.m.

Elton John will return to Youngstown on Saturday for an 8 p.m. concert, His only other Valley appearance was in May 2010.

The 66-year-old remains a touring machine. He will play at least 57 concerts this year in North and South America and Europe, and it begins with Saturday’s show in Youngstown.

Saturday’s concert is sold out — all tickets were gone within seven hours of going on sale — although they can readily be found on Internet resale sites. It’s also not unusual for a few tickets to go on sale the morning of a concert after the stage has been erected, although there has not yet been any confirmation of that happening.

Here are some facts about Saturday’s concert:

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The concert will begin promptly at 8 p.m., and there is no opening act, so it’s best to leave your home with plenty of time to park so you can find your seat by 8 p.m.

There will be no intermission.

Small cameras (no larger than your hand) are permitted. No professional audio or video recording devices are permitted.

STAGE

When John came to Covelli in 2010, the stage was a basic affair. That won’t be the case this time around.

The rocker has been using an impressive new stage design that utilizes a massive overhanging light fixture that resembles a chandelier and can morph into different shapes. It was created to help promote the new album “The Diving Board” and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”

The stage was constructed by Tait Towers — a worldwide company that has developed and built everything from Super Bowl halftime and Olympic Opening Ceremony sets to most of the large-scale music tours that are out on the road right now.

CANTON NATIVE

John Mahon, percussionist and vocalist with the Elton John band, will be in his own neck of the woods Saturday.

Mahon — who celebrated his birthday Jan. 23 — was born in Canton and began his music career there, playing drums in jazz, rock and pop bands. He moved to Los Angeles in 1983 where he continued to play and study music.

As a singer and drummer, Mahon has worked with jazz guitarist Peter White, Al Stewart, Helen Reddy, Boney James and Rita Coolidge. As a percussionist and vocalist, he backed up Three Dog Night’s Chuck Negron and was a member of The Stickmen.

Mahon originally was hired for the Elton John band as a percussionist, but also contributes vocals. He has played with John for more than 1,300 concerts, beginning with his first, a 1997 show in Germany.

SET LIST

The set list varies slightly from show to show, but this should give you an idea of what to expect, based on past concerts in the past two months.

“Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”
“Bennie and the Jets”
“Grey Seal”
“Candle in the Wind”
“Levon”
“Tiny Dancer”
“Holiday Inn”
“Believe”
“Philadelphia Freedom”
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
“Rocket Man [I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time]”
“Hey Ahab”
“I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues”
“The One”
“Oceans Away” (from latest album, “The Diving Board”)
“Someone Saved My Life Tonight”
“Sad Songs [Say So Much]”
“The Bitch Is Back”
“All the Girls Love Alice”
“Home Again” (from latest album, “The Diving Board”)
“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”
“I’m Still Standing”
“Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”
“Your Sister Can’t Twist [But She Can Rock ‘n Roll]”

Encore:

“Your Song”
“Crocodile Rock”