Elton John

How’s this for a political statement? Go see Elton John. You’ll hear “Philadelphia Freedom” and you’ll cross Fred Phelps’ anemic picket line, which usually shows up to protest the gay singer’s … well, his existence. During “The Bitch Is Back,” contemplate how your ticket money contributes to keeping the legendarily acquisitive pop icon financially bulletproof now that President Bush has signed that usury-lovin’ bankruptcy bill into law. Sure, John isn’t a U.S. citizen, but he lives part time in Atlanta, and his “The Red Piano” is a huge hit in Vegas, where the compulsive shopper plays for gamblers in a kind of Republican nightmare collision of fiscal looseness. What could be more American? Buying a $6 beer during a post-1975 song, that’s what. But John’s last couple of discs, including 2004’s sweet and sturdy Peachtree Road, deserve your sober attention. And your cash.