Billy Joel brings a “JOYFUL” state of mind to Hard Rock Live on Jan 28, 2022
As I make my way to the box office, I hear someone asking, “Anyone have extra tickets?”
To no surprise, it was a sold-out show. Billy was back in town, and the fans were ecstatic. It had been a while, due mostly to the pandemic, since Billy Joel had performed in South Florida; two years to be exact. As expected, it was a magical evening with Billy performing his greatest hits mostly from the late 80’s and often addressing the crowd in between songs: “The reason I am talking so much has nothing to do with cocaine, but this is actually a very intimate room for us. We are used to playing in stadiums.” He went on by imitating some echo sounds from a stadium kind of situation and adding, “This is a talking room….you can understand what I am saying”. He declared his enthusiasm for performing again in front of a live audience, since the pandemic put a hold on live shows.
Billy managed several times to tease the crowd, before performing some of his unforgettable hits, by proclaiming, “This next song was not a hit single….again! This was not even released as a single…or maybe it was?” It felt very intimate and fun. Storytelling has been a staple on his performances, but this time even more so after a two-year hiatus.
With a band loaded with talent, each song performed brought a certain kind of vibe and appreciation for the distinguished sound of each instrument accompanied by incredible vocals. Mike DelGuidice’s performance of “Nessun Dorma” was such a gift with his unique voice. The incredibly talented saxophonist Mark Rivera, who has been with Billy now for 40 years, bringing the crowd to their feet during “New York State of Mind”. The smiley and prolific multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Crystal Taliefero on Percussion, Saxophone, Harmonica and Vocals. Together with talented Chuck Burgi on drums, Andy Cichon on bass and vocals, Tommy Byrnes on guitar and vocals, Carl Fischer on Trumpet, Trombone and Saxophone and David Rosenthal on Keyboards, Piano and Organ. The collaboration of these musicians results in a special live music performance.
The usual “open-stage” set up with Billy performing in a rotating piano is truly inviting, giving the audience the feeling of inclusion. The backdrop, composed of large screens often lit up with images of New York skyscrapers, gives the audience an invitation to experience the unequalled beloved city.
Displaying physical top form, Billy left the piano for the long encore, playing guitar while moving on stage and, at one point, twirling the mic-stick up in the air – showing that he is still very much enjoying the stage and not ready to retire anytime soon. If you have a chance, now more than ever, this is a performance not to be missed
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