I thought The Nylon Curtain wasn't too bad.

I have a great Billy Joel story. I'm pretty sure I've never posted it here. Back when I was 18 (& not real smart) I was a college dj. As part of the "job", I got to interview a number of mid 70's artists & got to go backstage at a lot of shows. I usually did the interviews the day of the show, but in this case Billy Joel was in town for several days & we did the interview 2 days before the concert. The 2 things I remember most from the interview was that at the time (1976 or 77) he felt really screwed by his former manager & by a number of issues dealing with Cold Spring Harbor, & he was feeling pressured by CBS to write Piano Man clones.

I also had free tickets to his concert (which is still in my all time top 5 shows ever, this was the Turnstiles tour). I really wanted to impress my date. After the concert, I asked the concert promoter where the after show party was. She basically told me to get lost. At 1 am, I called Billy Joel's hotel room & asked him where the party was. Instead of telling me to get lost (which in retrospect I'm amazed he didn't do!), he invited me & my friends up to his hotel room at 1 in the morning; & me, my date & 1 other friend sat & drank a fifth of Vodka with Billy (his vodka!) for several hours.

Really nice guy!!!!

That's a great story. I'm guessing that he wouldn't be so accomodating these days...but who knows. Maybe he would be grateful for the attention lol (by the way Geff, looks like the naysayers were wrong about the Bedard trade)...congrats on that pickup.

I just hope they can sign EB to an extension.

He still puts on a pretty good show.

and I will have tickets to that show at Shea (plus the last game at Shea).
Oh yes I will.

If you've gotten tickets for that final Shea concert ... well, it's not the FINAL final one:

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/press_ ... p&c_id=nym

Mets and Billy Joel add second -- and final -- show Friday, July 18, for last concert ever at Shea Stadium

NEW YORK -- The New York Mets today announced that rock and roll icon Billy Joel has added a second -- and final -- show on Friday, July 18 in "The Last Play at Shea." Tickets for the final concert event in Shea Stadium history go on sale this Saturday, February 23 at 9:00 a.m. at http://www.507TIXX.com and by phone at (718) 507-TIXX. Citi cardmembers also will have access to purchase preferred seats through Citi's Private Pass® Program, available to all Citi cardmembers at http://www.privatepass.citi.com

Today's announcement follows the fastest concert sellout in Shea's 44-year history when more than 50,000 tickets sold on the Mets' http://www.507TIXX.com ticketing system, powered by Paciolan, in 48 minutes.

Billy Joel becomes the fourth artist to play multiple shows at Shea Stadium since its opening in 1964, joining Rock & Roll Hall of Famers the Beatles (1965, 1966), the Rolling Stones (1989), Elton John & Eric Clapton (1992), and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (2003).

With his upcoming shows at Shea, Joel becomes the first artist in music history to have played all four of New York City's premier sporting venues: Shea Stadium, Yankee Stadium, Giants Stadium and Madison Square Garden, where, in April 2006, he broke the record for longest sequence of sold-out shows by a single artist (12).

The Mets will play their final regular season game at Shea, Sunday, September 28 against the Florida Marlins and move into Citi Field, their new home, in 2009.

Love me some Billy Joel.

I didn't know the Shea show went on sale already. Would have liked it see him that night.

What a shame for those who bought tickets for the 16th under the impression that they were buying tix for the last concert at Shea. If I had gotten tickets, I'd be very upset right about now.

He should have made the extra show a week earlier. Then people who had bought tickets because it was the last Shea concert would still be attending the last Shea concert.

I sense that we're gonna get yet ANOTHER live album from Joel after this.
If he doesnt want to write "pop" songs anymore that's fine, at the very least do a covers album.

Jeff

Does he still end his concerts by telling the audience not to take any shit from anyone?????

I understand that people who bought tickets for "the last show at Shea Stadium" are taking shit from Billy now. Apparently, a second show has been added after the last one. Anyone who thought that they were going to see the last show at Shea and were going for that reason are now f*cked.

If they had any inkling that another show would be added, you'd have thought that the last available date would be the first one put on sale.

Who knows...he may add more dates at this rate.

Very true, but what was advertised as the last show at Shea, no longer is.

If they want to add any more dates after the 18th, they'd better do it BEFORE 9.00am Saturday morning, otherwise they're bound to be opening themselves up for some lawsuits, because the 18th is being promoted as THE final show.

Wouldn't be surprised if there were some lawsuits from fans who've got tickets to the July 16 show.

I was just fliipping through the onscreen programming guide and noticed that there is a show on WNET (one of the New York PBS stations) tonight from 8:00-9:30PM EST. The program is titled "The Stranger Live" and is a concert performance from 1978. (The "copyright" date of the program is listed as 2008.) I didn't buy the Stranger Deluxe edition and am wondering if this is the same show included in that set.

No doubt, it will be aired on other PBS stations in the near future as well.

Must be pledge drive season. No way you would see that any other time.

If Billy Joel doesn't write 'pop' music then why doesn't he write a serious well written CD that will challenge his fans ?????

He did......... back in the early 70's............

I like Billy Joel and have seen a several times in concert.

One of the top 3 shows I've ever seen was the Turnstiles tour.