Billy Joel: Back and Better Than Ever!

This was my very first Billy Joel concert. It was an awesome show. Wait, let me rephrase. It was absolutely the best show EVER. First of all, the Wachovia Center in South Philly holds a whole lot of people. And the place was absolutely packed. It was a veritable sea of Billy Joel fans. There wasn’t an empty chair in sight. 

And there wasn’t really a bad seat in the house. I got my ticket the day they went on sale. They went up at 10am, and by 2pm when I went online, there was already only a limited selection left. By the next day, shows were being added left and right. My ticket wasn’t all that expensive, so I wasn’t expecting much. I had side-of-the-stage, tiered seating, and was counting on a pole or a tall person in my way…and so I was shocked when I was close enough to “see the glare off his head,” as my boyfriend put it. I really think everyone had a great view. 

The lights went out and Billy’s piano came sliding up through the stage floor. He started the night off with “Angry Young Man.” The piano revolved throughout the show, so we all got our share of front, side, and back views. He busted out his guitar for a few songs, including “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” He played for over two and a half hours, touching on every hit from “Anthony’s Song” to “The River of Dreams.” 

He even played several relics that, according to my Billy Joel tour guide of a boyfriend, he’s hasn’t done in concert in ages, such as “Vienna” and “Stiletto.” Other unexpected tunes included “Zanzibar” and “The Night is Still Young.” Being in Philadelphia, he had to play “Allentown,” and his performance of “Captain Jack” had the crowd going crazy. Let me tell you, this audience really gave testament to the statement “Philly Loves Billy,” as someone’s sign read.