Last Play at Shea

I was sitting at my desk at work when I heard a co-worker roaming the halls asking if anyone wanted tickets to the Billy Joel concert. A guttural "YO" escaped my lips as I ran towards the voice offering tickets to the sold out show!

The next few moments were a lot like the trading floor at the Stock Exchange - we spoke in rapid successions as we haggled briefly. Then I told him not to sell the tickets in the few minutes it would take me to tell Kathryn to find a baby sitter...at any cost. To make a short story short we got the tickets and a baby sitter - I think we witnessed a miracle.

We went to the first of two Last Play at Shea shows, the last concerts to be played before the stadium is demolished.

Hey...wait a minute...this feels like a date!

The weather was fantastic for the outdoor intimate gathering of 55,000 + fans. After finding a parking spot we made a b-line for the stadium. Our dirty water dogs and beer never tasted so good! Finally...as the harvest moon was raising over the stadium...the announcer asked everyone to stand for the national anthem

Seated at his baby grand piano, Billy Joel starts playing the Star Bangled Banner...it brought tears to our eyes.

A short clip from the song, My Life

Each song was like an invitation to remember where you were the first time you heard the melody. Kathryn and I sang along with each song...funny how you never forget the lyrics to the songs that you grew up with.

Several times that night we jumped to our feet...clapping, singing, and dancing. The guest appearances from Tony Bennet, John Mayer, Don Henley, and John Mellencamp were complete surprises - Paul McCartney never showed for our concert...though we were convinced he would. He closed the second show - what a treat that must have been.

The concert was filmed during both shows - apparently a movie is being made about the event. We can't wait to see the film. It will bring back memories of a super cool evening.

The Set List

1. National Anthem
   
2. Miami 2017 Angry Young Man
3. My Life
4. Everybody Loves You Now
5. The Entertainer
6. Zanzibar
7. Allentown
8. Ballad of Billy The Kid
9. New York State of Mind (this is where Tony Bennett came out to share the stage and helped sing the song.)
10. Big Man on Mulberry Street
11. Rootbeer Rag
12. Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)
13. Goodnight Saigon (which featured a combined NYPD/FDNY choir on stage with him.)
14. Don’t Ask Me Why
15. Time To Remember (featuring John Mayer on guitar)
16. Keepin’ The Faith
17. Downeaster Alexa
    
18. Stand By Me/Innocent Man
    
19. Boys of Summer (yes, the Don Henley song, because we’re in a baseball stadium and Henley came out to sing it - fantastic!)
20. She’s Always a Woman
21. Captain Jack
22. Lullaby
    
23. River of Dreams
24. Hard Days Night (because The Beatles were the first band to play Shea)
    
25. Pink Houses (yeah, Mellencamp came on to sing it)
26. We Didn’t Start the Fire
27. It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me
28. You May Be Right
29. Please Please Me (Beatles again)
30. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
31. Only The Good Die Young
32. She Loves You (and more Beatles)
33. Piano Man
34. Souvenir