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Um, dude with the camera says it all: WOOOOOO!

     Billy Joel’s historic “Last Play at Shea” concert Friday night only goes to prove that when you give, you end up getting so much back in return.
    The gesture of having Paul McCartney – who proved rock and roll was bigger than anyone ever imagined and launched the era of stadium rock in 1965 when he and The Beatles played Shea – perform “Let It Be” as the final song ever for the venue was a generous one, not just to McCartney, who performed graciously, and the screaming, stunned capacity crowd gathered for history, but, really, to anyone who pays attention to such things.
    No one would have argued with Shea’s musical swan song to be the his grand “Piano Man,” sung by Joel, backed by his amazing, 21-piece backing band, and a sold-out stadium that he had feeling alright. It was, after all, his night, one he earned – both with his impressive three-hour performance and his just as impressive four-decade career that chronicled New York and Long Island like no other rock artist has or ever will.
    His “Last Play at Shea” was a far more fitting tribute to the stadium and to the area than a McCartney show could ever have been, because Joel’s music, his influences and his inspirations, are steeped in the same traditions, the same struggles and triumphs, as the millions who have filled Shea year after year since 1964. As legendary and singular as McCartney is, it’s one thing that he cannot match. (And congratulations to The Mets organization for recognizing that.)
    There was a moment when Joel was singing harmony on “I Saw Her Standing There” and looking over at McCartney when he seemed to feel the enormity of the moment, when he was living out the dream for millions around the world who were inspired by The Beatles to form a rock and roll band.
    But McCartney wasn’t the only guest who seemed to bring out the best in Joel. He was clearly in a duel with the master Tony Bennett during “New York State of Mind,” with each offering up the best vocals they could deliver, raising what has become the city’s equivalent of “The National Anthem” to an even higher level. When Garth Brooks arrived to belt out a gorgeous version of “Shameless,” Joel adapted to his vocals to the countrified setting as well. And, really, how could he not smash a guitar as he backed up Roger Daltrey during a raucous “My Generation”?
     Those high points were only pushed that much higher by the powerful foundation Joel and his band laid during the rest of the evening. His encores “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” and “Only the Good Die Young” never sounded better, maybe because of the anticipation of what was coming next. But Joel’s tender side – in “She’s Always a Woman” and “Lullaby,” especially – also showed that even though, as he often points out, he hasn’t put out a new album of music in 15 years, he continues to improve in a lot of ways.
    In the ways where age has taken on its toll – the upper-end of his register, for example – he decided to gut it out Friday night, bringing home his doo-wop tribute “This Night” and going after the high notes in “An Innocent Man” with a mix of a boxer’s grit and an artist’s savvy.
    Joel played as if there wasn’t a tomorrow that anyone needed to worry about. Maybe we will, as the main set’s emotional centerpiece “Goodnight Saigon” proclaimed, all go down together. But, as Joel’s once-in-a-lifetime performance Friday night showed, sometimes perfect moments fall unexpectedly into your lap and only those who hung on get to enjoy them. Both Joel and McCartney deserve a week’s worth of screaming, Shea Stadium-sized crowds for reminding us all that sometimes dreams really do come true.

SETLIST: The National Anthem / Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Down on Broadway) / Angry Young Man / Yankee Doodle Dandy/My Life / The Entertainer / Summer, Highland Falls / Zanzibar / Allentown / The Ballad of Billy the Kid / New York State of Mind (w/Tony Bennett) / Root Beer Rag / Movin’ Out / Goodnight Saigon / Don’t Ask Me Why / This Night / Keeping the Faith / The Downeaster ‘Alexa’ / Spanish Harlem/Under the Boardwalk/An Innocent Man / Shameless (w/Garth Brooks) / She’s Always a Woman / Captain Jack / Lullaby / River of Dreams/A Hard Day’s Night / Walk This Way (w/Steven Tyler) / We Didn’t Start the Fire / It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me / My Generation (w/Roger Daltrey) / You May Be Right // ENCORES: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant / Only the Good Die Young / I Saw Her Standing There (w/Paul McCartney) / Piano Man / Let It Be (w/Paul McCartney)

PHOTO: Billy Joel at Shea Stadium Friday night by Ari Mintz for Newsday.

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From our pal and boss Kevin Amorim:

    The man at the piano was no stranger to the 63,000 people at Shea Stadium last night.
    It was fitting that Billy Joel – our Billy from the block on Meeting Lane in Hicksville – got the call to play Shea's final concerts. He put on an amazing show at the home of the Amazins'.
    "This is where New York meets Long Island," he said of the soon-to-be demolished stadium. "Yeah, Queens is the City, but geographically, it's Long Island."
    A few numbers later, the kid from Long Island and the king of Queens traded verses. As Joel, dressed in black, finished the first verse of "New York State of Mind," he looked up, "Ladies and gentlemen, Tony Bennett." The roar of the audience almost did the work of the wrecking ball and brought the house down when Bennett crooned "I'm in New York state of mind."
    If you haven't already guessed, Joel's set played to the hometown crowd – how could it not? These are the songs of our youth, no matter how old you are: "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," "Allentown," "Don't Ask Me Why."
    He had some fun with "My Life," twinkling out a short rendition of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" at the beginning of what would become the theme for "Bosom Buddies." This show was not a drag, not even when John Mayer came out with his guitar to assist on "This is the Time."
    The special guests kept coming out of the bullpen. Don Henley joined in for a version of "Boys of Summer" and later, John Mellencamp showed up for his hit "Pink Houses."
    Toward the end of the regular set, Joel meshed "A Hard Day's Night" into "River of Dreams," a nod to the Beatles who first played Shea in 1965 and 1966. He revisited the Fab Four in his encore.
    Although he was tethered to his piano -- except for "An Innocent Man" -- Billy was not idle. He was also busy introducing some of the homegrown talent on the stage in centerfield, including Baldwin's Carl Fischer on trumpet and flugelhorn and Tommy Byrnes a guitarist from Oceanside.
    Didn't get tickets to these shows? You can still experience some of the magic in the just-announced feature-length docu-concert "Last Play at Shea," with footage from last night's and tomorrow's shows. It's scheduled for release next year, the first year without Shea.

SETLIST: The National Anthem / Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) / Yankee Doodle Dandy/My Life / The Entertainer / Zanzibar / Allentown / Ballad of Billy the Kid / New York State of Mind (w/Tony Bennett) / Big Man on Mulberry Street / Root Beer Rag / Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) / Goodnight Saigon / Don’t Ask Me Why / This Is the Time (w/John Mayer) / Keeping the Faith / The Downeaster ‘Alexa’ / Stand By Me/An Innocent Man / Boys of Summer (w/Don Henley) / She’s Always a Woman / Captain Jack / Lullaby / River of Dreams/A Hard Day’s Night / Pink Houses (w/John Mellencamp) / We Didn’t Start the Fire / It’s Still Rock ‘n’ Roll to Me / You May Be Right // ENCORES: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant / Only the Good Die Young / She Loves You / Take Me Out to the Ball Game / Piano Man

PHOTO: Billy Joel at Shea Stadium by Bruce Gilbert for Newsday

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Hershey, Pa. – Billy Joel unveiled the new expanded band and the massive new stage set he plans to use at next week’s historic final concerts at Shea Stadium here at Hersheypark Stadium Thursday night. The Shea musical surprises, however, remain under wraps.
    Between two-story video screens shaped like skyscrapers and scrims printed with an artistic photo collage of New York landmarks, Joel and his band – now-augmented to 21 strong thanks to a new eight-piece string section, four-piece horn section and two backing singers – tackled an expanded version of the setlist he has developed during his 10-show, six-week run at the Mohegan Sun Arena that ended last week.
     Though the huge images and new New York-centric video footage are hard to miss, it’s the sound of the huge new band that makes the biggest difference to anyone who has seen Joel since he relaunched his solo touring in 2006. The swelling strings turn “New York State of Mind” into an even more moving experience than usual. The additional backing vocals make “River of Dreams” sound even more powerful. And the extra horns help turn the unlikely “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” into a brassy show-opener.
    The task of putting together “The Last Play at Shea” – the final shows at the hallowed stadium that changed the way the world considered rock and roll – has clearly made Joel consider his own career, which has spanned Shea’s entire lifetime. After “Keeping the Faith,” Joel thanked the crowd for its continued support, pointing out how unusual it is for a guy like him to still be filling stadiums. “I’m 59 years old,” he said. “I haven’t had an album out in 15 years.”
    Maybe part of his secret is that he still doesn’t take himself too seriously. Even
as he prepared to complete “the hat trick” – becoming the only artist ever to perform at Yankee, Giants and Shea stadiums – on Wednesday and Friday, Joel was still able to joke around. He turned a towel into a wig before launching into “Piano Man” for his final encore and during his lengthy soundcheck, which drew fans from the nearby Hersheypark to listen throughout Thursday afternoon, he segued from “Captain Jack” to Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man.”
    Even his introduction was fun. “I'm Billy’s dad,” he joked to the crowd. “Billy couldn't make it tonight. He’s too busy combing his hair.”

SETLIST: Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) / Angry Young Man / My Life / The Entertainer / Zanzibar / Allentown / Ballad of Billy the Kid / I’ve Loved These Days / Big Man on Mulberry Street / New York State of Mind / Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) / Goodnight Saigon / Don’t Ask Me Why / Keeping the Faith / She’s Always a Woman / Captain Jack / Lullaby / 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 / Piano Man

PHOTO: Joel and jersey by James Carbone for Newsday 

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

As expected, Billy Joel has added a second concert at Shea Stadium. The new Friday, July 18 date is being billed as the final date of Joel's "Last Play at Shea," making this the actual, for-really last concert there.

Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday at www.507tixx.com. The first Joel concert at Shea sold out in 48 minutes, a stadium record.

PHOTO: PomoMusings.com 

Billy Joel's classic album "The Stranger" featuring the hits "Just the Way You Are," "Movin' Out" and "Only the Good Die Young" will be inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008, alongside a slate of other "recordings of significance" that include everything from Arturo Toscanini's 1953 recording of "Verdi: Otello" to The Police's "Roxanne" and the John Coltrane Quartet's "Ballads" album.

"The Stranger," released in 1977, was the album that turned Joel into a superstar. It sold more than 10 million copies, even holding the title of Columbia Records best-selling album in history until 1985, and landed him his first Grammy awards record and song of the year honors for "Just the Way You Are." The album, his first collaboration with producer Phil Ramone, was not only a commercial success, but an artistic one as well, featuring "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and "Vienna."

Recorded works are eligible for The Grammy Hall of Fame 25 years after their release and are seen to have significantly impact musical history, said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "This year's inductees span nine decades and represent a diverse array of genres from classical and show tunes to blues, jazz and rock and roll," Portnow said in a statement. "They exemplify the best qualities that make the recording arts such a vital part of our culture and each not only uniquely reflects the zeitgeist of its time, but also possesses the enduring power of transcending time."

The inductees -- which also include Michael Jackson's "Thriller," The Beatles' "Help!" and Prince's "1999" -- will be recognized as part of the 2008 Grammy Awards broadcast on Feb. 10.

Billy Joel’s “Christmas in Fallujah,” only the second song he has completed since switching his focus from pop music to other types of composition in 1993 after the "River of Dreams" album, hit iTunes this morning and, well, it’s OK.

There are plenty of reasons that make the song hard to criticize. It’s sung by Cass Dillon, a Long Island newcomer, not Joel. Proceeds from the single go to Homes For Our Troops, a nonprofit that builds specially adapted homes for service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with severe disabilities. And its message about supporting our troops, especially during the holidays, is an important one.

Joel said he wrote “Christmas in Fallujah” earlier in this year after receiving letters from men and women serving in Iraq saying how they had found inspiration and comfort in his songs. However, he didn’t think he was the right person to sing the song. “I thought it should be somebody young, about a soldier’s age,” Joel said in a statement. “I wanted to help somebody else’s career. I've had plenty of hits. I’ve had plenty of airplay. I’ve had my time in the sun. I think it’s time for somebody else, maybe, to benefit from my own experience.”

That said, it’s no “Goodnight Saigon” and, as unfair as it may be, any pop song Joel releases these days will be compared with his previous work – even if he isn’t the one singing it. Lyrically, “Christmas in Fallujah” captures despondency and frustration well, though that doesn’t exactly make it inspirational. Musically, it owes more to latter-day Nirvana than a classic Joel rocker.

For Dillon, the association with Joel should land more attention for his “A Good Thing Never Dies” EP, though his songs “Sliding” and “Lack of Game” probably offer better examples of what the promising 21-year-old singer-songwriter can do.

It wasn't music that got sparks flying between Billy Joel and Katie Lee.

"Food brought us together," Katie Lee Joel said on the red carpet at last week's Save the Music Foundation Gala.

And now she's getting ready to let people in on some of her culinary secrets. Joel said she just finished the photo shoot for her first cookbook, tentatively titled "Katie's Comfort Table," due out in May for Simon and Schuster.  

Among the recipes are Billy's favorites: peach cobbler and meatloaf. (She adds that The Piano Man makes an excellent spaghetti bolognese and strip steak.)

Joel said they have just started renovations on their new house in Sagaponack and that they won't be able to move in for about a year. They'll continue to stay at the house in Sag Harbor in the meantime when they're out east.

Joel said she and Billy work well together. "I think we complement each other," she said.

"Obviously, there's a big age difference," she said, laughing. "But he's very immature and I'm very mature, so  we meet in the middle."

PHOTO: Billy and Katie Lee Joel at the "Entourage" premiere in June. (Peter Kramer/Getty Images) 

We've fondly dubbed him The Piano Man, The Angry Young Man and even The Stranger, but now we can give Billy Joel yet another nickname: Master Builder.

Joel will soon become the tenth annual recipient of the Master Builder award, given by the New York State Office of Parks to individuals who "demonstrate an uncommon ability to get things done," according to a Parks press release. He's not the first Long Islander to get the award -- Sarah Hughes is also a past recipient.

Joel is being recognized for his efforts to protect "Long Island's historic maritime industries," which means he's an avid boater and has donated money to help local fishermen. (He even wrote the song "The Downeaster Alexa" about the baymen on the East End.)

A gala in Joel's honor (black-tie optional) will be held Oct. 11 at Bethpage State Park's Carlyle on the Green restaurant. Tickets are $500 per person or $6,000 for a table of twelve. For tickets call the Long Island State Parks office at 631-321-3403.

And who's the evening's entertainment? Not Joel but a tribute band called Glass Houses, led by Henry Haid, who played piano in the Broadway run of Joel's musical "Movin' Out."

Long Island's best-known resident was in a generous mood Friday night, showing up unannounced at a free concert in Huntington and promising to donate a piano to a local arts group.

Full story here.