Billy Joel – the lyrical lyricist, the poetic purveyor of portraiture prose. His music is classic, timeless. His voice is ageless and his humour is priceless. With just the right amount of sweet and salty, his show manages to be flashy and yet still self-deprecating and down-to-earth. He can go from a rock n' rollin', rip roaring ruckus and then reduce you to a tearful, sappy pile of mush. He brings you in and makes you feel part of a personal yet shared experience. He made references to local musicians such as Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell and The Band as well as well-known local venues where he had played in the past, all of which makes for an inclusive, relatable experience.
His
two-hour long concert showed no signs of him slowing down. He jokes
about his age – that he's turned into his father, that he's the age
at which most people retire. He can say whatever the hell he wants to
say about that but why do reviewers feel the need to focus on Billy
Joel's age or appearance is just beyond me. Who cares about that?
Let's focus on his amazing talent and accomplishments instead, shall
we?
In
1965, at the age of 16 he was already in his first recording band. He
released his first solo album in 1971 at the age of 22. He started
touring in 1972.
Since
releasing his first hit song, "Piano
Man,"
in 1973 (over
40 years ago), Billy Joel has become the sixth best selling recording
artist and the third-best-selling solo artist in the United States.
He's
had Top 40 hits in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, achieving 33 Top 40
hits in the United States, all of which he wrote himself. He is also
a six-time Grammy award winner who has been nominated for 23 Grammy
Awards throughout his career. He has sold over 150 million records
worldwide.
Billy
Joel was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame (1992), the Rock
and Roll
Hall
of Fame
(1999),
and the Long Island Music
Hall
of Fame
(2006).
In 2001, Joel received the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters
Hall of Fame. In 2013, Joel received the Kennedy Center Honors, the
nation's highest honor, for influencing American culture through the
arts.
His
album releases span from 1971 to 2001:
Cold
Spring Harbor (1971)
Piano
Man (1973)
Streetlife
Serenade (1974)
Turnstiles
(1976)
The
Stranger (1977)
52nd
Street (1978)
Glass
Houses (1980)
The
Nylon Curtain (1982)
An
Innocent Man (1983)
The
Bridge (1986)
Storm
Front (1989)
River
of Dreams (1993)
Fantasies
& Delusions (2001)
On December 31, 1999, Joel performed at New York's Madison Square Garden. At the time, Joel said that it would be his last tour and possibly his last concert. He did perform at benefit concerts in 2001. Then on January 7, 2006, Joel began a tour across the United States. Having not written, or at least released, any new songs in 13 years, he featured a sampling of songs from throughout his career. His tour included an unprecedented 12 sold-out concerts over several months at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The singer's stint of 12 shows at Madison Square Garden broke a previous record set by New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen, who played 10 sold-out shows at the same arena. As well, new dates are still being added.
Last night's setlist:
- Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)
- Pressure
- The Entertainer
- Vienna
- Up On Cripple Creek (The Band partial cover)
- Zanzibar
- And So It Goes
- Allentown
- The Downeaster “Alexa”
- New York State of Mind
- Sometimes A Fantasy
- Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
- She's Always A Woman
- Don't Ask Me Why
- Keeping The Faith
- In The Middle Of The Night
- A Hard Day's Night (The Beatles partial cover)
- Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
- Piano Man
Encore:
20. We Didn't Start The Fire
21. Uptown Girl
22. Still Rock and Roll To Me
23. You May Be Right
24. Only The Good Die Young
Opening for Billy Joel was Jon McLaughlin, a spectacular pianist is in own right. He and his band of 10 years, originating from Indiana, did a 40 minute 8-song set including a rollicking audience participation song called “Why I'm Talking To You”. Dude can wail away on the ivories too. Check them out if you get the chance.
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