BILLY JOEL SAYS GOODBYE TO SHEA

I thought it was surprising when I read that Billy
Joel was playing the final concerts at Shea Stadium, but only because he's a well known Yankees fan (and in fact he played the first rock concerts at Yankee Stadium nearly 20 years ago). But the shows sold out super-quickly. No surpise: Billy is probably as popular as he's ever been, despite not releasing an album in over 15 years. Plus, Shea is an important place for Met fans and New Yorkers. At the first show, Billy was joined by Tony Bennett, John Mellencamp, John Mayer and Don Henley. But the final show featured Roger Daltrey, Steven Tyler and, probably most significantly, Paul McCartney (The Beatles were the first rock band to play Shea). My friend was at the first night, and he reported that it was one of the best concerts he'd ever been to, and I know he's been to many.

Meanwhile, Billy has just released a 30th anniversary edition of The Stranger, perhaps his finest moment. it features the original album, a live concert recorded a few weeks before the album's release, and a live DVD, plus the usual box set liner notes treatment.