Billy Joel’s finale for his 10 year Madison Square Garden monthly residency was full of surprises.
Tonight was the 150th show at MSG, with Jimmy Fallon surprising the audience and helping to hoist a blue and white banner that will always commemorate the run.
There was a special — and odd — musical guest in rocker Axl Rose, who sang “Live and Let Die” and “Highway to Hell.” Billy Joel and Axl Rose are just a strange combination.
There were even stranger guests in the audience. Kellyanne Conway — who’s been making racist comments on Fox lately about Kamala Harris — was there with ex husband George and their kids including the heroic teen Claudia. (He was very nice. I had to restrain myself and not look at her.) Fox News’s demented Maria Bartiromo was in the audience and got featured on the audience camera. Also there: former CNN chief Chris Licht.
Billy promised the crowd he’d return to MSG, this wasn’t the end. It was just the end of the residency. He told a story about running into Frank Sinatra years ago when Ol Blue Eyes was 70 and tried to back out of a show in Italy. Sinatra was worried about his voice. Then Billy, who is more than 70, said high notes were harder to reach these days. Then he belted out “An Innocent Man” hitting all the falsetto parts perfectly.
The highlight of the evening: the appearance on stage of his two small daughters, Della and Remy. They are almost 9 and 7 respectively, and tonight they became stars. Della handily upstaged her father, fearlessly leading the crowd on “My Life.” Remy sat on the stage, ears covered with headphones, but was also pretty much at ease. Billy said when it was over, “How can I follow that?” (He introduced his brother, Alexander, who was in the audience and is an opera conductor in Europe.)
The rest of the nearly three hour show followed Billy’s career of hits much as the previous 149 shows. One surprise was that he didn’t sing the new song he released last winter, “Turn the Lights Back On.” It was as if that whole chapter never happened. But the band was exceptionally tight. You could feel the power in the arena as the fans who filled every seat and empty spot roared with delight and sang along to every song. Crystal Taliefero was, as usual, an all star on several instruments and then singing “River Deep Mountain High” as if her life depended on it. Saxaphonist Mark Rivera was on fire.
Whatever Billy does now is gravy. He’s touring with Sting this year. He pointed out on stage all the band’s achievements and firsts, like playing in Russia and in Cuba. Dozens of guests have joined him at MSG including Paul Simon, Sting, Elvis Costello, John Mellencamp, members of the Rascals, Paul McCartney, and so on.
What is there left to? Billy once played the old Yankee Stadium but he hasn’t played the new one yet. Sources tell me that may happen sooner than later — especially if the Yanks don’t get to the playoffs.
An historic night by a great artist!
