Billy Joel spring training kicked off at the Mohegan Sun Arena Friday night, as he prepares to transform his current roadshow into two historic concerts in July that will go down as the final musical performances at Shea Stadium.
During his 10-show, six-week run at Mohegan Sun, Joel plans to test out some new approaches to his songs for the Shea concerts on July 16 and 18. He will then head to Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Penn., to work on the sound and logistical issues of performing a stadium-sized show.
Joel readily points out that he’s not the usual stadium act with a big, special-effects-filled show or lots of movement – he is the Piano Man, after all – so to set the Shea shows apart, it will have to be through his music.
At Friday night’s sold-out concert, Joel’s set already had subtle differences from his record-setting, sold-out run at Madison Square Garden in 2006, captured in his “12 Gardens” live CD – some changes in phrasing in “My Life,” a more rock-oriented arrangement for “It’s Still Rock ‘n’ Roll to Me,” the pairing of “The Downeaster ‘Alexa’” and “Allentown,” two songs about working-class struggles.
Of course, one thing that won’t change is Joel’s onstage banter. “I’m from right across the bay on Long Island,” he told the Connecticut crowd as a matter of introduction, “you probably know us as your barrier beach.”
And when the mention of his 1974 album “Streetlife Serenade” drew a huge response as Joel introduced the song “Zanzibar,” he rolled with it, saying, “Thank you, that’s more people than ever bought the album.”
SETLIST: Angry Young Man / My Life / The Entertainer / The Downeaster “Alexa” / Allentown / Zanzibar / New York State of Mind / Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) / Keeping the faith / Don’t Ask Me Why / She’s Always a Woman / Captain Jack / River of Dreams / Highway to Hell (sung by Chainsaw) / We Didn’t Start the Fire / It’s Still Rock ‘n’ Roll to Me / You May Be Right / ENCORE: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant / Only the Good Die Young
PHOTO: Joel and jersey by James Carbone for Newsday