Elton John review: Icon brings joyous, must-see final tour to Nassau Coliseum

Elton John isn’t quite ready for life beyond the yellow brick road just yet.

Though John, 71, plans to retire from touring after one last global farewell outing, he is by no means taking it easy or scaling back. The three-year goodbye tour, which made its first area appearance at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum Tuesday night, was energetic and featured his typically over-the-top showmanship.

“This show is made up of songs that are really important to me,” John said. “I’m sorry I had to leave some out, but I’d be here for five days.”

John was clearly soaking in the moment, pausing after most songs to wave and bow and chat with the audience. His voice is raspier and deeper now, but that suits the songs he chose for the night, like the gorgeous extended “Rocket Man” or the celebratory jam on “Levon.”

He also took extra care with the imagery of the show. The video accompanying “Candle in the Wind” was a David LaChapelle recreation of Marilyn Monroe’s final photo shoot. The video for “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” featured stunning animated characters artist Alan Aldridge created for a “Captain Fantastic” animated film that was never produced.

And, of course, there were the outfits, designed by Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele specifically for the tour, including the embellished tailcoat that John wore to start the evening.

The set list was built for fans, trading slots that John would normally give to his current work to older nuggets like the boogie-woogie stomp “All the Girls Love Alice” or the epic “Indian Sunset.” The most recent song John tackled was “Believe” from 1995’s “Made in England” album, a way to capture his feelings about the AIDS crisis.

However, John made everything sound current with help from his world-class band led by guitarist and musical director Davey Johnstone, who threw in bluesy riffs here and there, and drummer Nigel Olsson, who pounded out some massive solos.

It’s a joyous show that captures John’s five decades on the road and shouldn’t be missed. For those who did not make it to this go-round, John is set to play Madison Square Garden on Oct. 18 and 19 and Nov. 8 and 9, and will play there, Barclays Center and the Coliseum next year.

“I will miss you terribly,” John told the crowd, thanking them for their support over the years. “But I will keep you in my heart always.”