Billy Joel performed two concerts at Shea Stadium in New York City on July 16 and 18 of 2008. This DVD version was released on March 8, 2011. The film was produced by Jon Small, Joel’s former bandmate in the 1960s groups The Hassles and Attila. The film aired on PBS as part of Great Performances.
The two concerts were the last performed at Shea Stadium before it was demolished to make way for Citi Field. This DVD features guest appearances by Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, John Mayer, Steven Tyler, Roger Daltrey, John Mellencamp, Mark Wood, and Paul McCartney.
Usually I’m not a fan of concert videos–many feature bad sound–but this DVD delivers crisp footage and clear sound. Worth a look and a listen. Are you a Billy Joel fan? GRADE: B+
TRACKLIST:
| Billy Joel– | Prelude / Angry Young Man | ||
| Billy Joel– | My Life | ||
| Billy Joel– | Summer, Highland Falls | ||
| Billy Joel– | Everybody Loves You Now | ||
| Billy Joel– | Zanzibar | ||
| Billy Joel With Tony Bennett– | New York State Of Mind | ||
| Billy Joel– | Allentown | ||
| Billy Joel– | The Ballad Of Billy The Kid | ||
| Billy Joel– | She’s Always A Woman | ||
| Billy Joel– | Goodnight Saigon | ||
| Billy Joel– | Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway) | ||
| Billy Joel With Garth Brooks– | Shameless | ||
| Billy Joel With John Mayer– | This Is The Time | ||
| Billy Joel– | Keeping The Faith | ||
| Billy Joel– | Captain Jack | ||
| Billy Joel– | Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) | ||
| The River Of Dreams / A Hard Days Night | |||
| Billy Joel– | The River Of Dreams | ||
| Billy Joel– | A Hard Day’s Night | ||
| – | |||
| Billy Joel– | We Didn’t Start The Fire | ||
| Billy Joel– | You May Be Right | ||
| Billy Joel– | Scenes From An Italian Restaurant | ||
| Billy Joel– | Only The Good Die Young | ||
| Billy Joel With Paul McCartney– | I Saw Her Standing There | ||
| Billy Joel– | Take Me Out To The Ballgame | ||
| Billy Joel– | Piano Man | ||
| Billy Joel With Paul McCartney– | Let It Be | ||
| Bonus Performances | |||
| Billy Joel With Steven Tyler– | Walk This Way | ||
| Billy Joel With Roger Daltrey– | My Generation | ||
| Billy Joel With John Mellencamp*– | Pink Houses |
Not really a fan. I like a couple songs but not enough that I have ever felt the need to buy an album by him.
Steve, I like Billy Joel’s AN INNOCENT MAN and GLASS HOUSES albums that have a Sixties sound.
Somewhat in Steve’s camp. I don’t think I’d buy a Joel CD, but I like the Top 10 tunes I’m familiar with. Does anybody else remember that “My Life” was the theme song for BOSOM BUDDIES, the old Tom Hanks-Peter Scolari sitcom?
Fred, I don’t remember “My Life” as the theme song for BOSOM BUDDIES, but Billy Joel has allowed his songs to be used in ads for The Gap (“Just The Way You Are,” sung by his daughter, Alexa); Merrill Lynch’s Bank of America (“My Life”); and New York State tourism (“New York State of State of Mind”).
I’m with Fred here. Never bought an album but mostly like what I’ve heard. His stuff is really played a LOT on Sirius, and it’s always welcome.
Michael, you’re right about Billy Joel songs being in heavy rotation on Sirius/XM Radio, I hear a Billy Joel song every time I listen to The Bridge or The Blend.
Yes, I’m a fan. His voice sounded a lot better on this concert DVD than it does now. We saw him first at what was then the Westchester Premiere Theatre on December 3, 1976, which was a frigid day. I remember going in our friend Roy’s Mustang and we froze. This was post-Piano Man (1973) but before his huge The Stranger breakthrough (1977). If you’ve ever seen the infamous picture of Frank Sinatra and the mobsters – Carlo Gambino, Paul Castellano, Jimmy (The Weasel) Fratianno, and Gregory DePalma (among others), who had built the theater. – it was taken at the Westchester Premiere Theatre in 1976. A year later, Joel had graduated to the much larger Nassau Coliseum and we saw him , on a frigid Sunday this time, December 11.
Jeff, Diane and I saw Billy Joel in concert at Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium (which was demolished in 2009) in 1990 during his STORM FRONT tour. It was sold out and excellent!!!
Of course I remember Piano Man, but the other songs are in the background for me.
The same problem with most US performers:
No chance to see them live in Germany or the neighbourhood, just a few expensive concerts in the big cities.
Wolf, currently Taylor Swift is touring and the ticket prices are astronomical! But the other night in Nashville, the concert was delayed by rain for four hours and then Taylor Swift performed 40 songs…in the rain!
Like others here, I’ll listen to Billy Joel if he comes on, but never go out of my way to.
In other news, SIX is in Baltimore now. Last night four of the queens sang the national anthem at the Oriole game. Nice rendition.
Jeff, Diane loves SIX with the all-female cast and the all female band, Ladies in Waiting. It’s worth a look!
My friend Keiko gave me her copy of The Stranger ca. 1981 after listening once…still have the LP. Only album I own by BJ. He’s Not Bad.
Todd, Diane gave me a copy of THE STRANGER for Christmas way back in the day. It was a breakthrough record for Billy Joel. Plenty of hits!