COLUMBUS DIY

I'm posting this here and in the show reviews since no one posts in the show review section.

My parents e-mailed me in February to let me know that they had purchased five tickets. Billy Joel is the only concert I've ever seen with them and my sister. Liz came too. We saw him in Indy 1994 (River of Dreams world tour, I was in Fourth grade) and in Cleveland in 1998 (Freshman year). This time was section 208, stage left in the upper bowl at the other end of the Arena. Good seats.

The back-up band rocked pretty hard. I think the drummer had toms in the double digits, and probably double digits in cymbals too. The Australian bass player was the most boring of the bunch. His saxophone player has been with him forever, like 30 years at least, wearing the best/dumbest "jazz guy" shirt I've seen on an adult in a long time. The keyboardist was absolutely SHIT though, and at times the synth sounded as band as a fucking Emperor LP.

Here's the set-list including a little color commentary.

Let it be known that I accurately predicted the opening track:

Angry Young Man (get it, he's not Young anymore but can still play the piano REAL FAST. I dig this tune but I'm not out of my seat yet)
Interlude -- Beethoven's Ode to Joy

---there was stage talk after every one of these next songs:

My Life
Just the Way You Are
Summer Highland Falls
The Entertainer
Zanzabar
New York State of Mind (my mom fucking hates this song)

--- then they started cranking these out:

Allentown (used a cheap sound effect instead of playing a big steel pipe like they used to. Lame.)
Don't Ask Me Why
Always a Woman
Moving Out (Anthony's Song)

--- he encouraged a bathroom break in case he missed the high notes in the next song:

An Innocent Man (this one goes on FOREVER, but his voice held up pretty well for being 59.)

---the big ending:

Keeping the Faith
River of Dreams (Hang On Sloopy in one of the rests, me and 17,000 of my closest friends yelling "O-H-I-O." Not.)
Matter of Trust (my favorite of the night. This song rules, no homo.)

--- and now....the biggest surprise of the night. This is not a typo, but it is a joke:

Highway to Hell: Featuring roadie guitarist "Chainsaw" as lead singer. Un-fucking-believable. Mind numbing. Spot on Vocals from the burliest dude in a tank top. Can't believe Joel's Roadies are this ragged.

--- back to reality with:

We Didn't Start the Fire
Still Rock n' Roll to Me
You May Be Right

-- Here's the Encore
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Only the Good Die Young
Piano Man

21 songs, 2 hours and 10 minutes.