Anyone seen Billy Joel in concert?
GivenToFlyFreak
Posts: 86
Billy Joel is going to be in Seattle next week and while I'd love to see him, ticket prices are STEEP ($90 bucks or so). Just wondering if anyone here has seen him and what you all thought?
Here is his setlist from the first show of the tour last night in Vancouver, looks like the hits were played!
October 30, 2007 - Vancouver, BC
General Motors Place
Prelude/Angry Young Man
My Life
Everybody Loves You Now
The Entertainer
Downeaster Alexa
Allentown
Zanzibar
NY State of Mind
Root Beer Rag
Movin' Out
Innocent Man
Always A Woman
Keepin' The Faith
River of Dreams
Highway to Hell
We Didn't Start The Fire
Big Shot
Still Rock 'n' Roll
You May Be Right
Encores:
Italian Restaurant
Only the Good Die Young
Piano Man
Here is his setlist from the first show of the tour last night in Vancouver, looks like the hits were played!
October 30, 2007 - Vancouver, BC
General Motors Place
Prelude/Angry Young Man
My Life
Everybody Loves You Now
The Entertainer
Downeaster Alexa
Allentown
Zanzibar
NY State of Mind
Root Beer Rag
Movin' Out
Innocent Man
Always A Woman
Keepin' The Faith
River of Dreams
Highway to Hell
We Didn't Start The Fire
Big Shot
Still Rock 'n' Roll
You May Be Right
Encores:
Italian Restaurant
Only the Good Die Young
Piano Man
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Here is a review form the show
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=cfdb95d3-2b0b-44d5-9340-2dc4ce5c9750&k=74831
Piano Man still has it after all these years
At times the sound seemed garbled, but audience warmed up half-way through
Amy O'Brian
Vancouver Sun
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
CREDIT: Mark van Manen, Vancouver Sun
Billy Joel performs at GM Place Tuesday night to an an appreciative older audience.
CREDIT: Mark van Manen, Vancouver Sun
Billy Joel performs at GM Place Tuesday night to an an appreciative older audience.
Staying true to his 1989 hit song, We Didn't Start the Fire, Billy Joel and his band kept things to a pleasant slow burn Tuesday night at GM Place, but didn't manage to ignite any explosions.
The Piano Man drew a large -- but fairly tame -- crowd of mostly boomer types out for a night on the town. With prime tickets costing up to $400, it was a major entertainment event for those in attendance, but the high ticket prices were also likely a major factor in the empty seats that dotted the arena.
Minutes after 8 p.m. Joel rose up through the stage with his piano, pounding the ivories and wearing his signature black tee-shirt, blazer and jeans. After a strange musical introduction reminiscent of the E.T. soundtrack, he launched into Angry Young Man with the ferocity of the 58-year-old man that he is.
He pounded the keyboard, looking at times like his hands were operating independently of the rest of his body as his fingers sped across the keys.
After a few songs, Joel warmed up the audience, which must have been in the 12,000 range, with some self-depricating jokes about his age, his baldness and his "need" for the money generated by this stadium tour. The mostly middle-aged crowd responded warmly and generously with applause and understanding.
But they were remarkably still and unresponsive during hits like Allentown and the Entertainer. The collective lack of reaction could possibly be blamed on the median age of the audience, but it was more likely due to the blown-out, amped-up sound of the bass, drums and synthesizer.
At times, the sound -- at least as I heard it from up in the press box -- was so blasted out and garbled it seemed as though Joel and his six-piece band were failing to keep time with each other.
But Joel conceded part way through the show that it was their first performance in about six months and asked the audience to be forgiving of any missteps. (He should have asked forgiveness for the sound engineer, too.)
His melancholy solo introduction to New York State of Mind and the quieter sounds of She's Always a Woman were proof that the show might have been more compelling had it featured more of the pared-down piano and vocals that showcase Joel's raw talent, rather than the big sound of a heavily amplified arena show. I also couldn't help thinking repeatedly throughout the performance that it would have been so much more appropriate -- and suitably intimate -- at a large theatre like the Queen Elizabeth.
But the crowd seemed to warm up to the arena atmosphere about half way through the show. They got a bit more lively when Joel gave them a festive taste of the Monster Mash and a small group of mostly women even rushed up to the stage with the first notes of Movin' Out, which was a highlight of the night, with its rollicking horns and sing-along lyrics.
People were delighted to witness Joel hit the high notes of Always a Woman and he got nearly everybody dancing in their seats with River of Dreams, which is when whatever substance he had in his travel mug seemed to really kick in. (He is reportedly sober. I'm assuming it was coffee.)
By the time Billy Joel picked up a guitar and played back-up for a rocking rendition of Highway to Hell -- sung by an overweight and tattooed roadie named Chainsaw -- the crowd seemed to be in a partying mood. (It was a truly brilliant few minutes.)
There was plenty of enthusiasm for We Didn't Start the Fire, yet the majority of the audience remained seated.
By press time, the show seemed to be on a high-energy streak even though Joel had already been playing for 90 minutes.
It seems the Piano Man still has it after all these years.
For what it's worth, it was a great show. I didn't even like Billy Joel before that, but he is very good live! Played all the hits that the fans wanted to hear, I was impressed.
His music is good but I can say that his show no longer lives up to the music.. :(
and still jonesing for another show....
"the waiting drove me mad..."
saw him in '89 storm front tour and around 2002 with Elton John...both shows were great! for an old fart piano player, he's great live!!! worth $90
He mostly plays the hits, at the show I went to I was really happy to hear Pressure, I Go To Extremes, and Uptown Girl.
If you've got the money I'd recommend it.
"I'm not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions." - George Carlin
there's no time to cry
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it's your face that i'll see
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Hes no Matt Cameron, but without him the songs sound like a broadway musical.
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finally, FUCK TICKETMASTER
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Played the hits. Totally worth it. Think it was about $65.00 at the time.
-Big Fish
~D.K.S.
Last day tix here were available for 1/2 price, so we had killer seats on the side for @ $50 each.