It was a beaut of a night - no humidity and a soft breeze coming through the ballpark. Billy was in a great mood, throwing cigars out to the audience and handing them to the veterans who came out on Goodnight Saigon as well as showing the crowd a photo of his new baby on the big screens.
It's a long delicious slide into the weekend from here. Enjoy it my friends!
Gavin DeGraw opened for him, and I am so behind the times on music that I had to text Laura and ask if Gavin DeGraw was famous. Whoops. I recognized some of his songs after that.
I love how he asks the audience to choose between two songs. New York State of Mind won out over our wedding song Just the Way You Are, but them's the breaks. Other highlights for me: Allentown (I have an awesome video but my nasal voice singing along is too much even for me), Goodnight Saigon, Don't Ask Me Why, Say Goodbye to Hollywood, This is the Time, and We Didn't Start the Fire. Piano Man is never a favorite of mine, but singing it along with so many other people in an open air arena is a pretty freaking cool experience. He played one song that got a hard no from me (No Man's Land) but the rest were fan favorites and I enjoyed even the ones I don't love like Still Rock and Roll to Me.
I love how he asks the audience to choose between two songs. New York State of Mind won out over our wedding song Just the Way You Are, but them's the breaks. Other highlights for me: Allentown (I have an awesome video but my nasal voice singing along is too much even for me), Goodnight Saigon, Don't Ask Me Why, Say Goodbye to Hollywood, This is the Time, and We Didn't Start the Fire. Piano Man is never a favorite of mine, but singing it along with so many other people in an open air arena is a pretty freaking cool experience. He played one song that got a hard no from me (No Man's Land) but the rest were fan favorites and I enjoyed even the ones I don't love like Still Rock and Roll to Me.
We had seats in section 139, the last section they sold on the lower level. That left us free to move over into those empty partial view seats and have a lot of room throughout the concert...especially after we moved away from the habitual farter and the girls who talked throughout like they were at the nail salon. Including the one who kept saying so he sings AND plays the piano? Are you kidding me lady? He's the goddamn Piano Man. Yes he sings and plays the piano. Anyway, moving next to an entire section of empty seats was awesome. We had so much room which is usually in short supply at concerts.
Thanks for a great show, Piano Man.
MFD would like everyone to know that we stayed until the very end and got out of CBP in five minutes and were home in 25. I'll give it to him, it was excellent post-event timing.
It's a long delicious slide into the weekend from here. Enjoy it my friends!
He's one I've never seen in concert but would love to. I had Glass Houses on vinyl and it was my soundtrack to junior high. Good to know he did not disappoint. LMAO at "he sings AND plays the piano!" Do you live in a cave?
ReplyDeleteShe was my age. I was like COME ON.
DeleteHow are you at a Billy Joel concert without at least SOME knowledge of who he is and what he does? I hate when amazing concert experiences are wasted on idiots. Is he air guitaring with a mic stand? I love it. Open air concerts are so nice, too. Glad the weather cooperated.
ReplyDeleteLooks like an amazing concert, so jealous!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's a heck of a show!! Billy Joel is fantastic though... I like people who actually sing at concerts. My parents went to see Neil Diamond a couple months ago and they were just in awe of how much he just sang, given how old he is... those are the best kind of concerts in my opinion. Performers are great - but there's no replacement for people who can just sing. WELL DONE on the 5 minute exit MFD. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI have seen hm twice--once solo and once with Elton John. Billy never disappoints. And that set list? LOVE IT even if two of my personal favorites are missing and the audience picked Summer Highland Falls over Sometimes a Fantasy. Goodnight Saigon and This is the Time always make me cry.
ReplyDeleteI can't even discuss the morons who didn't know he played piano and sang. They didn't deserve to be there.
I LOVE Billy Joel thanks to my mom, so glad to see Uptown Girl on the set list.
ReplyDeleteFarters and talkers should not attend huge group events.
so get this.... that house i posted that i'm lusting after? the street it's on is called Billy Joel Crescent.
ReplyDeleteI love Billy Joel! I've seen him twice in concert and would love to see him again. He puts on an amazing show. One of my favorites, All About Soul, isn't one of his more popular songs. I still love it.
ReplyDeleteOh that concert would have been amazing! I love The Longest Time and Uptown Girls but the setlist looks pretty incredible overall!
ReplyDeleteSo awesome! I'm actually surprised he had a show since his wife just had a baby but I guess the show must go on! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston
ReplyDeleteWhat an AWESOME set list!! Both Mike and I are huge Billy Joel fans but have still yet to see him together. I'm sorry he didn't play your wedding song, but I love that he played ours (This Is The Time)!
ReplyDeletei would LOVE to see him live. that is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI am dying at the "so he sings AND plays piano?" comment. What the fuck. How do you go to a Billy Joel concert and not know that. The set list looks awesome...I am partial to NY State of Mind and I cheesily love Uptown Girl.
ReplyDeleteAnd getting out of there and home so fast is unheard of. I swear it took us an hour to get out of the parking lot the last time we were there for a Phillies game. The leaving process is a constant source of contention for John and me. He always wants to sit in the parking lot, have one last drink and snack, and let the lot clear out a bit...I feel we should jump right in and try to get out ASAP.
oh wow. what an amazing show. i would love to see him live, though looking at the set list, i only really know the songs that he played in the encore. i might have cried when he played only the good die young. i was talking to a friend once about how songs remind you of certain people or whatever, and i mentioned that and she didn't know it or know who billy joel was. WTF.
ReplyDeleteLooks like an incredible show! My neighbors went to see him when he was here for New Years Eve, and raved about it! And look at MFD go with the post-show timing. He wins all the prizes, but you don't have to tell him I said that ;-)
ReplyDeleteno Summer Highland Falls??? :-(
ReplyDeleteHe is on my list to see at MSG, but I think seeing him outside would be incredible. I'm surprised that a Philly crowd wanted NY State of Mind :) Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteOh WOW ! What a show. I saw Billy Joel years ago and he was so awesome.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome concert!!!! Sounds like you guys had a fabulous time! But I am a little disappointed that you didn't know who Gavin DeGraw is? Say what? I hope you guys have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThat looks amazing!! He must be amazing to see live!
ReplyDeleteI AM SO JEALOUS! He's close by at MSG like basically always now, but I looked into tickets for a birthday gift for someone and Billy Joel at MSG is just way too rich for my funemployed blood. Sigh, one day. Glad you got to go though!!
ReplyDeleteThat would be such an amazing concert to go to!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to start the weekend. I haven't seen him in concert but know a lot of his songs.
ReplyDeleteSounds amazing! I'd love to see him in concert.
ReplyDeleteHe sings and plays piano? Who the fuckin fuck didn't know this but went to his concert?!?!?!?!?!?
ReplyDeleteBahahaha... the habitual farter and "Are you kidding me lady? He's the goddamn Piano Man." You kill me!
ReplyDeleteI just had to comment after seeing the "So he sings AND plays the piano?" thing. I don't think you have to be the biggest fan to appreciate a good show, but you should probably at least know SOMETHING about the artist/band you're seeing.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of some of the weird/funny comments I've heard at shows. The last time Eric and I went to see City and Colour, we overheard some girl explaining the name to her friend: "His name is like Dallas Green, so it's like a city and a color." She wasn't wrong, but it was funny because she was so matter-of-fact and her friend's face lit up like she'd just discovered the solution to world hunger. Eric still says that once in a while if we're listening to City and Colour in the same voice she used, and it's hilarious.
I also remember overhearing a girl last summer at a Death Cab show asking pretty much every audience member near her if they had ever heard of this band. Apparently she hadn't. I kept wondering why she even bothered going if she had no idea who they were. I think she may have been on a date, but still ... She could have at least looked them up online. It's not like it's difficult to stream music (for free, no less!).
I like It's Still Rock n Roll to Me, You May be Right and Only the Good Die Young.
ReplyDeleteThat's incredible! He is on my list of people I want to see in concert! Love him!
ReplyDelete