Film festival openings have a tendency toward the grand spectacle, a tendency that Tribeca took seriously as it kicked off its 10th edition Wednesday night outdoors in lower Manhattan.

The Bangles (?) came out and performed "Walk Like an Egyptian" with a choir of schoolchildren (??), Cameron Crowe premiered his Elton John documentary "The Union" and John gave a concert at a site overlooking the Hudson River, adjacent to where the World Trade Center once stood.

"The Union" marks Crowe's first film in six years, but the director, off shooting "We Bought a Zoo" and a Pearl Jam documentary, wasn't there. The film is an artistic-collaboration study along the lines of Michael Jackson's "This Is It," examining John's creation of a record with Leon Russell, the hirsute keyboard legend who's had more than his share of hard times.

But it was John's piano-playing that got the crowd going, particularly an elaborate, high-register riff at the end of "Rocket Man." John tossed out the obligatory this-is-my-favorite-place-to-play as he also told the audience he was a "frozen lollipop" on the April evening. He closed the set of about half a dozen tracks with "Your Song."

Tribeca, which has a particular focus on music this year, has historically gone with a novel group of opening-night events, from a screening of "United 93" with relatives of the crash's victims to Woody Allen's "Whatever Works" to a set of environmental shorts.

The Crowe/John double bill stood out as one of the few big-ticket screenings at this year's installment. For the first time in recent memory, Tribeca isn't showing a "Shrek," "Mission: Impossible" or other big Hollywood movie in a feature that had become a fixture, if an uneasy one, at the festival over the past few years.

About 90 features will screen at the festival over the next 11 days, including the Julia Roberts-produced coming-of-age dramedy "Jesus Henry Christ," the Keira Knightley-Sam Worthington romantic drama "Last Night" and Alex Gibney's sports-goat documentary "Catching Hell."

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Music is theme of this year's Tribeca Film Festival

-- Steven Zeitchik in New York

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Photo: Elton John performs at the opening night of the Tribeca Film Festival. Credit: Jason Kempin / Getty Images

Say what you will about the Tribeca Film Festival, but organizers are always trying something new, particularly with their showcase slots. The festival attempted an unconventional opening night of environmental shorts a few years ago, when "An Inconvenient Truth" was swimming in the cultural waters. It also, at the other end of the spectrum, was willing to become part of the global barnstorming tour for "Mission: Impossible III," a decision few other festivals were bold enough to make.

But the news that DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek Forever After" will actually open the festival sits a little funny. For one thing, in recent years, Tribeca has opened with rigorous pieces from acclaimed filmmakers (Paul Greengrass' "United 93," in a mourner-attended premiere that was among the most intense film experiences we've ever had) or at least pieces from acclaimed filmmakers (Woody Allen's "Whatever Works").

The move also seems to be coming a beat late, with Cannes last year already grabbing much of the thunder for a big animated, 3D opening with "Up" (which, as a piece of original work instead of a four-quel, also didn't quite have the cloud of merchandising hanging so heavily over it).

Finally, the New Yorker in us feels compelled to gently note that the festival's opening-night film has historically tended to include a Gotham slant (e.g., the "Saturday Night Live"-colored "Baby Mama"). An explanatory quote from festival founder Jane Rosenthal, God bless her, feels a little shaky. (“We have always sought to open our festival with films that are captivating and strike an emotional chord with moviegoers.")

A centerpiece slot -- which, notably, it steered away from studio franchises last year -- might have been a perfect place for the new "Shrek." The festival has slotted far more dubious sequels in those slots -- like "Spider-Man 3" dubious. (It also put M:I III" there.) But wasting a venue that can be, and often is, used for original or chancy work on a "Shrek" four-quel seems a bit misguided and has us feeling a little ... green.

-- Steven Zeitchik

Image: "Shrek Forever After" poster. Credit: DreamWorks Animation