Elton John is the first phase of a very, very long goodbye. His “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour—his last, supposedly—will take him to five continents for more than 300 shows. It won’t wrap up until 2021. Elton’s yellow brick road is a long one indeed.

The tour wended its way to Washington, D.C., on Friday night for the first of two sold out shows in the nation’s capital. Now 71 years old, perennially heavy-set Elton displayed remarkable stamina, playing for nearly three hours in a cavalcade of hits spanning his career. (Singers half his age regularly struggle to break the two hour mark.) And yes, while he’s seated for most of the show, he’s working hard, crooning with remarkable strength and displaying genuine virtuosity on his grand piano. Backed by a small band, John does not use back up singers, which many an aging rock act rely on.