Billy Joel - Tuesday 15th March - Madison Square Garden, New York

A relatively short notice work trip to New York means 2 things from a musical point of view. Firstly, I have to miss T'Pau at Farncombe this week. That disappointment is compensated by the fact I can see a musical hero - Billy Joel - at the Garden. Billy is playing a residency of one show a month at the World famous venue, and this is show 27. It may cost an arm and a leg (well over £100 in UK money), but is not to be missed. The 2 hour show varies slightly each month and there are different guests show up. In terms of setlist, I think we did pretty well for this one - the only low point for me being the audience vote between 2 of Billy's songs I really have no time for (the insufferable "Zanzibar" beating the marginally less dreadful "Big Man on Mulberry Street). I refused to cheer for either! Still - don't think that I'm ungrateful - the rest was fantastic (well maybe excluding "Big Shot" - another personal non-favourite!).

Billy's voice was great (better than expected) and the songs performed with passion from the fantastic band. Billy's between song comments (e.g. The Entertainer dedicated to Donald Trump) and musical interludes (many around the upcoming St Patrick Day) were all good fun and added to the occasion as did the appearance of violinist Itzhak Perlman. A Hard Days Night was dedicated to the recently deceased George Martin.

Can't wait for September in the UK.

Setlist
Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)
My Life
The Entertainer
Vienna
Zanzibar 
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
New York State of Mind
The Downeaster Alexa [with Itzhak Perlman]
Where's the Orchestra? [with Itzhak Perlman]
Allentown
All About Soul
Sometimes a Fantasy
She's Always a Woman
Don't Ask Me Why
We Didn't Start the Fire [with Itzhak Perlman]
The River of Dreams / A Hard Days Night
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
Piano Man
+
Uptown Girl
It's Still Rock and Roll To Me / Be Bop-a-Lula
Big Shot
You May Be Right / Rock and Roll
Only The Good Die Young