Billy Joel Lights Up Tampa Bay With His Iconic Hits
What a Friday night! If you were lucky enough to snag a couple tickets to see the Piano Man himself, then we know you had a fantastic Friday night.
The sold-out crowd poured into the Amalie Arena and filled every seat it seemed like.
Everyone expected Billy Joel to kick off his show with his usual interlude and then him hitting the keys on the piano. But nope! He had something different in store for us as he walked onto the stage with a grinning smile and a guitar was placed into his hangs! As soon as the guitar strap was set around his neck and his hands were on those strings, ‘We didn’t start the fire’ kicked off. What a banger to start the show with and set the mood.
It didn’t stop there, his second song on the set was ‘It’s My Life’! As the crowd danced and screamed with excitement. As soon as he ended the song, he went over and sat at what seems like his second home, the piano.
He let the crowd in on his being a little under the weather, which led to him showing off a throat spray. He told the crowd that apparently its one that Madonna has used but said he noticed it still didn’t work on her voice. He was going to give it a try. Everyone erupted in laughter as it seems like he threw a little shade but of course he chuckled as he was kidding around.
The show included a mixture of early album cuts. He incorporated his fans into the show by letting them vote on about 5 songs and the vote was always for an older, not charted song.
The band is like no other and shined. Horns, guitars and percussions all were given solo time and were received with huge applauses.
At one point in the show Billy said here’s another song about women because he loves women; the song just happened to be ‘She’s always a woman’. As he finished the crowd cheered and he thanked them and said ‘and then we got divorced’; referring to his marriage to the famous model, Christie Brinkley.
Encore included ‘Uptown Girl’, ‘It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me’, ‘Big Shot’ and ’You May Be Right’. It’s never a dull moment with Billy on stage as he stood with the mic and acted out the songs and added in some of his attitude and flair.
Despite feeling a little under the weather, the Piano Man managed to transport us far away from our worries, putting us in that ‘New York State of Mind’.
