I’ve been fortunate to see Billy Joel in concert several times including a fantastic show he did with Elton John at the MCG back in the mid 1990s. Now he was back and I was eager to see him again.
Billy Joel started the show by playing ‘Prelude/Angry Young Man’. His piano playing in this song highlights how good a musician Billy Joel is. Billy is a classically trained pianist and this song really shows his brilliant musicianship. He then played some of his early songs which I’ve never heard of before but then again Billy, with his great sense of humor, did admit that many people would not have heard of these songs either.
Billy knows how to put on a great show and he did so by playing all of his big hits. His voice sounded fantastic and his interaction with the audience was excellent. I really enjoyed the set list (including one of his roadie’s performance of AC/DC’s ‘Highway To Hell’) but I would have loved to have heard ‘Pressure’.
The encore included the classics ‘Scenes from an Italian Restaurant’, ‘You May be Right’ and the show ended with the enthusiastic audience singing with Billy Joel his classic song ‘Piano Man’.
Billy Joel is a superstar. Not only is he a wonderful song-writer and musician but he is also a fantastic entertainer. Last night’s show proved it!
Billy Joel’s Official Website
www.billyjoel.com
SET LIST
1. Prelude/Angry Young Man
2. My Life
3. Everybody Loves You Now
4. The Entertainer
5. Don’t Ask Me Why
6. Zanzibar
7. Vienna
8. Honesty
9. New York State of Mind
10. Allentown
11. Movin’ Out (Anthony’s song)
12. An Innocent Man
13. Keeping the Faith
14. She’s Always A Woman
15. I Go To Extremes
16. The River of Dreams
17. Highway to Hell
18. We Didn’t Start The Fire
19. Big Shot
20. Its Still Rock and Roll To Me
21. Uptown Girl
Encore:
22. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
23. You May Be Right
24. Piano Man
By STEVE YANKO
